Mary Halvorson Septet: Illusionary Sea

Ches Smith | Mary Halvorson | Jonathan Finlayson | John Hébert | Ingrid Laubrock | Jacob Garchik | Jon Irabagon

Although active in the New York avant garde scene for over a decade, guitarist and composer Mary Halvorson continues to...

Reviewed by Marcus O’Dair in issue: November/2013

Benny Golson: Turning Point/Free

Early-1960s Golson in two quartets (the Miles rhythm section with Kelly/Chambers/Cobb is the better), showing more aggression and fire than...

Reviewed by Alyn Shipton in issue: November/2013

Burak Bedikyan: Circle of Life

Burak Bedikyan | Peter Washington | Chris Potter | Bill Stewart

It’s almost a given in contemporary jazz that if you have a name and background of a particular ethnic group...

Reviewed by Selwyn Harris in issue: November/2013

Stefano Bollani/Hamilton de Holanda: O Que Será

Stefano Bollani | Hamilton de Holanda

The people at ECM must have realised that Scandinavian angst is all very well for times of affluence, but what...

Reviewed by Brian Priestley in issue: November/2013

Stan Tracey: The Flying Pig

Simon Allen | Mark Armstrong | Stan Tracey | Andrew Cleyndert | Clark Tracey

Six new pieces by Stan, inspired by World War One and played with vigour and verve, that might have come...

Reviewed by Alyn Shipton in issue: November/2013

Stanley Clarke: Time Exposure

Howard Hewett | Jeff Beck | George Duke | Louis Johnson | Ernie Watts | Stanley Clarke

Time Exposure finds Clarke deep into his techno funk phase, pitching himself somewhere between Shalamar, the Johnson Bros and Earth,...

Reviewed by Andy Robson in issue: November/2013

The DePaul University Jazz Ensemble with Jeff Hamilton: Salutes Woody Herman

Matt Ulery | Mark Hiebert | Tom Klein | Mark Colby | Brandon Hunt | Sean Packard | Jeff Hamilton | Brett Balika | Michael Plankey | Thomas Matta

DePaul University is located in Chicago, which may explain the readiness of top players like drummer Jeff Hamilton and Phil...

Reviewed by Peter Vacher in issue: November/2013

Arve Henriksen: Places of Worship

Jon Balke | Alexander Füle | Peter Andreas | Jan Bang | Jan Heinke | Michael Antoni | Eivind Aarset | Arve Henriksen | Erik Honoré | Lars Danielsson

Arve Henriksen – co-founder of acclaimed avant-garde improv trio Supersilent – makes deeply atmospheric music that generally commands assent. ‘Melting...

Reviewed by Robert Shore in issue: November/2013

FIRE!: (without noticing)

Andreas Werliin | Johan Berthling | Mats Gustafsson

Their first statement since the 30-piece FIRE! Orchestra’s monumental Exit! was released at the beginning of this year, (without noticing)...

Reviewed by Daniel Spicer in issue: November/2013

Album Interview: Robert Glasper Experiment: Black Radio: Volume 2

Marsha Ambrosius | Derrick Hodge | Brandy | Anthony Hamilton | Casey Benjamin | Snoop | Norah Jones | Jill Scott | Lupe Fiasco | Faith Evans

Needless to say the predecessor was a big, big album, making Glasper the go-to jazzer for a new generation of...

Reviewed by Kevin Le Gendre in issue: November/2013