Tabla de contenidos para October 2025 en Jazzwise

EFG London Jazz Festival 2025 expands line-up with global stars and UK premieres The EFG London Jazz Festival, running from 14 to 23 November 2025, has announced a further wave of new performances, adding depth and diversity to its already ambitious city-wide programme. The festival opens with Jazz Voice at the Royal Festival Hall (14 November), the gala concert that traditionally sets the tone for 10 days of music. This year’s line-up includes vocal legends Dee Dee Bridgewater and Tanita Tikaram, rising stars Stella Cole, Tyreek McDole, Caleb Kunle, and top UK singer Natalie Williams, all accompanied by the Guy Barker Orchestra under guest conductor Jack Murray. Jumoke Fashola will host, joined by a special guest co-host, Line of Duty actor Adrian Dunbar. Artist-in-residence aja monet will lead workshops with…

I’ll never forget the first time I heard Pharoah Sanders live. It was a blisteringly hot afternoon at the Big Chill (!) festival in 2009, with around 5,000 people scattered across the grass in front of the main stage. On my way to the bar, I suddenly heard the distinctive melody of Coltrane’s 'Giant Steps' cutting through the haze. Sanders’ sax tone was penetrating yet warm, much like the sun itself bearing down. Then I had to stop in my tracks. Sanders was unleashing a torrent of intricate ideas over the band’s hard-swinging groove – this was not the meditative spiritualist I expected, but a free-bop deity in full flight. It was a thrilling opening salvo, shaking the crowd out of its heat-induced stupor. Later, he shifted gears to a…

Step back with us now a mere 80 years ago to the rear pages of Melody Maker in autumn 1945, just weeks away from the end of the Second World War in Europe. Music instrument manufacturing in the UK was fast trying to resume production after being put on hold or converted to war-related manufacture for the previous six years. Perhaps renown UK instrument company Boosey & Hawkes drum department was obliquely trying to tempt drummer Max Roach, who was then playing with Miles Davis in Charlie Parker’s Reboppers, to play Ajax drums, or were they just trying to show that Ajax would be back in production ahead of other drum companies? A safe bet for B&H as their war-time contracts allowed them to retain skilled staff and facilities!…

Scottish pianist Fergus McCreadie has announced details of his highly-anticipated fourth album, The Shieling, which will be released on 24 October on Edition Records. The acclaimed pianist’s folk-rooted jazz sound develops further here with music written and recorded in a remote cottage studio on North Uist in the Scottish Outer Hebrides, with the album produced by trumpeter/composer Laura Jurd. McCreadie is also set to feature on the soundtrack to the new Spike Lee film, Highest 2 Lowest, a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film High and Low. McCreadie’s track, ‘Stony Gate’, is incorporated into the main score by composer Howard Drossin. Receiving an email he thought was a ‘joke’ from the director’s team, McCreadie was initially sceptical of the offer, but met Lee at the 2024 Edinburgh Jazz & Blues…

Born Sheila Jeannette Dawson in Detroit, and initially known as Jean or Jeannie, Jordan spent her childhood with her grandparents in Summerhill, Pennsylvania. From an early age she liked singing, often with her grandmother accompanying on the piano. But at 14, she moved back to her mother in Detroit. There was a juke box in the school lunch room, and she was fascinated by a disc by Charlie Parker’s Reboppers (the word ‘Rebopper’ fascinated her). She told me she dropped her nickel in the slot and within three notes of Bird’s alto saxophone "my whole life opened up for me, I knew what I wanted to do". Before long, she along with her Detroit friends Tommy Flanagan and Kenny Burrell met Parker when he came to jam after hours in…

Sometime in the summer of 1968, a young British musician named James Patrick Page made a momentous decision. Tiring of his career as London’s hottest session guitarist, and facing the dissolution of The Yardbirds, the group for which he was lead axeman, he resolved to start his own group. Joining up with fellow session man, bassist, keyboardist and arranger John Baldwin (aka John Paul Jones) and an obscure singer and a brilliant but unruly drummer (Robert Plant and John Bonham respectively), he formed a group that became known as Led Zeppelin. The rest, as they say, is history. But we’re not here to talk about Jimmy Page, but another successful guitar sideman who – albeit in a less commercial way – also changed the course of British music by following…

The ice cubes fizz as the barman loads the frosted glasses. But even such chilled delights can’t ease the heat of the kind of sultry summer evenings that are increasingly enjoyed across the UK. If you follow the stereotype, you might expect Brigitte Beraha to be at home in such superheated climes. After all, Milan born, her childhood was spent amid the blue and golden beaches of the Cote d’Azur in the South of France. But Beraha doesn’t do stereotypes. “Sadly, when you grow up in a place you may take it a little for granted. I swam a lot, I swam from when I was really young. I even did a few competitions! Looking back, it was an amazing place to grow up. But as a teenager I was…

Thereupon Pi Recordings PI 109 (CD, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Tyshawn Sorey (d), Steve Lehman (as) and Vijay Iyer (p, el p). Rec. 2024 If it has taken 17 years for Fieldwork to follow 2008’s Door, then that is most probably because of time constraints. The three leader-composers – drummer Tyshawn Sorey, saxophonist Steve Lehman and pianist Vijay Iyer – have all been prolific recording and touring artists. Following various solo, duo, trio, small group and big band projects, the players are at a new stage of artistic maturity, and Thereupon certainly has the feel of an album in which the intuitive understanding at the heart of the ensemble is enhanced by a notably tight narrative and structural precision. The fine balance between repeated statement, re-harmonisation, improvisation, interplay-exchange and collective momentum…

Sam Rivers 100 Capri Records 74173-2 (CD, DL) Mark Masters (arr), Billy Harper (ts), Jerry Pinter (ts, ss), Nicole McCabe (as), Tom Luer (bs), Ryan DeWeese, Mike Cottone, Nathan Kay (t, flhn), Les Benedict, Fred Simmons, Dave Woodley (tb), Jeff Colella (p), Chris Colangelo (b), Kendall Kay (d) and Tim Hagans (t). Rec. 16 October 2023 Dance, Eternal Spirits, Dance! Capri Records 74176-2 (CD, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Mark Masters (arr), Billy Harper (ts, comp), Bob Sheppard (as, f), Jerry Pinter (ts, ss, af), Kirsten Edkins (ts, cl), Adam Schroeder (bs), Brian Walsh (bcl), Dan Forneo, Jamie Hovorka, Aaron Janik, Tim Hagans (t, flhn), Francisco Torres, Ido Meshulam, Lemar Guillary (tb), Juliane Gralle (btb), Francesca Tanksley (p), Chris Colangelo (b) and Kendall Kay (d). Rec. 16 July 2024 Arranger-composer Mark Masters…

Cécile McLorin Salvant Oh Snap Nonesuch Records 0075597895520 (CD, LP, DL) RECOMMENDED Cécile McLorin Salvant (v) plus various personnel including Sullivan Fortner (p, ky), Yasushi Nakamura (b), and Kyle Poole (d). Rec. date not stated From the dreamlike, stream-of consciousness of ‘I Am a Volcano’ to a beautiful treatment of Matsuo Bashō’s celebrated haiku ‘A frog jumps in’ as a metaphor for art-making, sonically, thematically, emotionally, Oh Snap is a remarkable album even by Cécile McLorin Salvant’s exalted standards. A magnificent hymn to procrastination, the swinging ‘Anything But Now’ sounds like a lost show tune. Vocalists June McDoom and Kate Davis join Salvant to create delightful, multilayered vocal harmonies in ‘Take This Stone’, while the sudden textural dropout and devastating climax of ‘What Does Blue Mean to You?’, inspired by…

Derek Bailey/John Stevens The Duke Of Wellington Confront Recordings CORE 52 (CD, DL) Derek Bailey (g, el g) and John Stevens (per, pocket t). Rec. 24 March 1989 The great guitarist Derek Bailey (see feature, p19) is in good form on this newly-excavated recording, on which he alternates between acoustic and amplified acoustic guitars and, as ever, manages to wrench an extraordinary range of sounds and textures from them. The Duke ofWellington referred to in the title is a pub venue in London at which this live album was taped, and Bailey’s fellow traveller on this particular night was the late John Stevens, a founder of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble (and another hugely important figure in the UK free music scene)who contributes percussion and pocket trumpet. The three tracks (two…

Tramonto ECM 2544 (CD, LP, DL) John Taylor (p), Marc Johnson (b) and Joey Baron (d). Rec. January 2002 Anyone who knows this trio’s work from the ECM album Rosslyn, recorded in Norway a few months later, will know that here was a band worth hearing, and their Contemporary Music Network tour (during which this album was cut) gathered plenty of enthusiastic interest. The piano at the CBSO Centre at the time (as now) was a fine one, and John’s unaccompanied opening segment of his own ‘Pure and Simple’ gives us, within less than a minute, a sense of the variations on touch, tone and speed that he was to draw from it during the evening. His solo introduction subtly finds Johnson seamlessly joining him, as they combine on a…

Overshooting the Moon…? I would like to make some comments about Kevin Whitlock’s review of the Bill Evans Moon Beams album in your last issue. He not only feels it is the best album that Evans ever made, which I wouldn’t really agree with, but feels it is one of the finest jazz trio records ever made which I think is a statement way over the top! Out of interest, on the same dates as this recording(May and June 1962) a number of other tracks were recorded and issued under the title How My Heart Sings. These tracks had more varied tempos than the Moon Beams album. Everyone to their own tastes of course, but one point that Kevin made about bassist Chuck Israel that was clearly wrong was him…

Blackheath Halls and Peter Conway Promotions are set to present a high-calibre autumn series spotlighting three generations of British jazz legends. Running from 25 October to 20 December 2025, the programme celebrates Brit jazz’s rich history and evolving sound through performances connected to Blackheath’s own musical legacy. Opening the season on 25 October, the Ronnie Scott’s All Stars, joined by award-winning vocalist Jo Harrop, bring the spirit of Soho’s iconic jazz club to South East London. Expect an evening of swing, storytelling, rare archive material, and tributes to Ronnie Scott himself, who regularly played at Blackheath Halls with greats such as George Melly and Humphrey Lyttelton. On 11 December, leading saxophonist Andy Sheppard returns with QUARTETS, a new project reimagining music from his past through new instrumentation and live improvisation.…

HIGHLIGHTING SERIOUS TALENT BUBBLING UNDER THE RADAR…. NAME: NOAH OJUMU INSTRUMENT: DRUMS EXPERIENCE AND INFLUENCES: London-born drummer Noah Ojumu developed his passion for music through Youthsayers and Kinetika Bloco, exploring Afrobeat, reggae, second line, and samba. Noah was first introduced to jazz through the music of the great Art Blakey and Elvin Jones, and continued his journey studying at Trinity Laban. Noah has performed with Mark Kavuma, Tony Kofi and Nu Civilisation Orchestra. He is on Hans Koller’s upcoming album, Laß dir diesen Psalm gefallen, alongside John O'Gallagher, Byron Wallen and Tom Challenger. THIS FUTURE MOVER SAYS: “Music has always been an important part of my life, as a kid I would always be drumming on any surface. This natural affinity towards music and improvising has only grown as I've…

There’s stiff competition for our October 1960 slot, given that Charles Mingus did the bulk of his two Candid LPs on the 20th while, the following day, John Coltrane began three sessions in one week that eventually led to five albums of his then-new quartet. But, since both Mingus and Coltrane have already appeared in this series, the prize goes to a fine, if perhaps more conventional, set by Cannonball Adderley’s quintet. The group had made its sales breakthrough exactly a year earlier on In San Francisco with its lead track, Bobby Timmons’ gospel waltz ‘’Dis Here’, becoming a radio and jukebox hit. The 16 October 1960 follow-up from LA, Quintet At The Lighthouse, has an equally compelling opener in ‘Sack O’ Woe’, its theme beginning with a funky even-8s…

London Concertante – the UK-based chamber orchestra known for its performances of classical repertoire, often in unique candlelight settings – will launch a new production this autumn celebrating the music of Ella Fitzgerald. Titled 'Ella and Friends', the tour features jazz singer Emma Smith, winner of Jazz Vocalist of the Year at the 2024 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. The programme combines London Concertante’s orchestral forces with Ella classics arranged by David Gordon, Ali Vennart, Alan Gout and Ryan Lynam, with the ensemble performing Fitzgerald’s signature songs, as well as works associated with Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Nina Simone. The UK tour includes Chichester Cathedral (6 September), Manchester Cathedral (14 September), Gloucester Cathedral (26 September), Sheffield Cathedral (25 October), St George’s Hall Liverpool (26 October), St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds…

The UK jazz scene gets a boost this autumn as guitarist Nigel Price embarks on a 46-date grassroots tour, running 15 September–11 December. Made possible by the Music Venue Trust’s (MVT) Liveline Fund, it is the first UK jazz tour to receive this support from this new scheme that’s aimed at helping small venues thrive. The Liveline Fund, created by MVT with Save Our Scene (SOS), redistributes revenue from arena and stadium ticket sales to grassroots artists, promoters and venues. Early backers include Sam Fender, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Enter Shikari, whose contributions have enabled tours such as Price’s, in a push to protect live music nationally. Price will perform most dates with his acclaimed Organ Trio of Ross Stanley (Hammond organ) and Joel Barford (drums), while also welcoming international…

British trumpeter Alexandra Ridout, who is now based in New York, returns to the UK this November with her New York Quartet. Over the past four years she has established herself as both a bandleader and sought-after collaborator, working with Samara Joy, Dave Douglas, Artemis, Dayna Stephens and Melissa Aldana. Her UK tour centres on a headline slot at the Guildhall Jazz Festival (in partnership with the EFG London Jazz Festival) and will preview music from her highly anticipated debut album, to be recorded in New York with support from Terri Lyne Carrington’s Next Jazz Legacy Award. |The quartet features leading young voices on the NYC scene: Yvonne Rogers (piano), Simón Willson (double bass) and David Sirkis (drums), all with credits including work with Bill Frisell, Linda May Han Oh…

When tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders died in September 2022, at the age of 81, a portal to the beating heart of jazz closed forever. A key figure in the development of both free jazz and the spiritually aware, pan-global music initiated by John Coltrane in his later years, Sanders had earned the right to be regarded as a true godfather of post-1960s jazz. But he was no museum piece. Just the year before his death, his appearance on the critically acclaimed Promises – a Mercury Prize-nominated collaboration with British electronic musician Floating Points and the London Symphony Orchestra – had proved that he was still a vital presence. Sanders’ last album, its visibility goes some way to explaining the great outpouring of love and admiration that accompanied his death. Yet,…

Laura Jurd has hit the necessary pause button on many aspects of her life as a jazz musician since the birth of her first child Henry, now age three and a half. Up until now it’s been life in the slow lane. Not least compared to her burning-the-candle years during the 2010s with her rapid rise from Trinity Laban undergraduate to winning countless commissions and composition awards; through to being at the helm of London’s Chaos Collective and its Orchestra, and the Mercury-nominated neo-electric jazz quartet Dinosaur among other ventures under her own name. Only now, in 2025, is the re-energised trumpeter-composer raring to go again. “I’m really looking forward to playing my own music on a regular basis again,” she says, speaking on a Zoom call from her Somerset…

Ancient Infinity Orchestra It’s Always About Love Gondwana Records GOND 79 (CD, LP, DL) Ozzy Moysey (b, v), Oliver Dover (g, cl, bs, kaval, zili bendir), Khemi Shabazz (ob, v), Joel Stedman (af, bcl, f, perc, atabaque, cga, v), Jake Rider (as), Matt Cliffe (f, af, ts, v), Will Howard (ts), Will Blackstone (t), Sam Ehret-Pickett (flhn, t, bar horn), Evan Rhodri Davies (vn, mand, v), Aby Vulliamy, Megan Jowett (vla), Michael Bardon (clo), Georgie Buchanan, Alice Roberts (hp, v), Hugh Vincent (p, v), Elliot Roffe (b, cl, v), Jed Cutler (perc, 12-string g), Toma Sapir (perc) and John Arnesen (d, v). Rec. 8-11 April 2024 Ancient Infinity Orchestra continue to defy the ordinarywith their second album, a homage to love, liberation and connectedness. The 15-piece, Leeds-based band is founded…

Led Bib Hotel Pupik Cuneiform Records RUNE541 (CD, LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Pete Grogan (as, ts), Chris Williams (as, effects), Liran Donin (b) and Mark Holub (d). Rec. date not stated So… Led Bib 2.0? Hotel Pupik is the band’s first album as a chordless quartet, named for the secluded converted cowshed in the Styrian mountains where theywere artists in residence in 2024. Following the 2018 departure of original keyboard player Toby McLaren, Elliot Galvin was recruited for the recording of 2019’s It’s Morning. That album was itself something of a departure, with elaborately structured music featuring strings and vocals, so Hotel Pupik is the first outing of Led Bib as a twin saxophone led foursome. The good news is that while there are obvious differences from previous recordings it…

Jake Baldwin Vanishing Point Shifting Paradigm Grammy-winning trumpeter Baldwin reunites with guitarist Toivo Hannigan, bassist Cody McKinney, and drummer Adam Harder Nussbaum for this alt-jazz set. Shades of Sonic Youth flare on 'Low', while the haunting reimagining of ‘You Are My Sunshine’ provides the album’s bittersweet coda. The band balances groove and intensity against abstraction and beauty. Baldwin also works wonders with his tone – declamatory one moment, delicate the next. (MF) Brian Charette Working out with Big G SteepleChase The 'Big G' of the title is 90-year-old George Coleman, who plays astonishinglywell on this laid-back but grooving session, with Hammond organist Charette purring away beneath. There’s effortless support from guitarist Paul Bollenback and George Coleman Jr on drums, who swings easily too. Charette channels Wild Bill Davis and…

At The Deer Head Inn: The Complete Recordings ECM 2829/30 (4 LP, DL) Keith Jarrett (p), Gary Peacock (b) and Paul Motian (d). Rec. 16 September 1992 This well-produced, well-designed box set of four vinyl discs represents the first time the complete 1992 Deer Head Inn recordings have been made available in one vinyl package. Originally recorded on location at the famous club in the hamlet of Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania, included is 1994’s At the Deer Head Inn and 2024’s The Old Country. Both double tip-on gatefold LPs are housed in a box, and, like the indispensable Luminesscence vinyl re-issue series, once an album is released from its sleeve, it proves to be fiendishly difficult to manhandle it back into its cardboard sleeve. I have given up trying, for…

magsubscriptions.com/music-jazzwise subscriptions@markallengroup.com +44 (0) 1722 716 997 Never miss an issue of the UK’s only print and digital jazz magazine Jazzwise has been at the heart of the global jazz scene since the magazine’s launch in 1997, changing the way jazz publications look and think for the last three decades, with a stunning editorial and design package that reaches out worldwide to both the new jazz audience and established fans – qualities that have led to it winning Jazz Publication of the Year at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards, the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Awards and the Jazz FM Awards. Why should you subscribe? • 11 new print and digital issues during the year • Full access to every issue of Jazzwise with over 290 editions in our searchable digital archive and…

It’s all systems go for UK composer, pianist and bandleader Nikki Iles as her new role as the chief conductor of Germany’s esteemed NDR Bigband begins in earnest this autumn. With so many projects in the pipeline, Mike Flynn speaks to Iles about this run of autumn concerts and her plans for 2026. Tell us about your new role with the NDR – and what that entails in terms of writing music – and curating the projects themselves… This is a completely new and exciting journey for me, beginning this autumn as the new Chief Conductor of the NDR Bigband in Hamburg. During my two year appointment my role will include bringing new music of my own to the band and arranging, curating and conducting many other projects. Historically, there…

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra are set to head out on a three-date tour this autumn, exploring the music of jazz fusion icons Weather Report. Formed in 1970 by Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter, Weather Report reshaped the soundscape of modern jazz with their powerful fusion of jazz, rock, funk, and world music, while their compositions, from the catchy ‘Birdland’ to the funky ‘Teen Town’, are now classics, as are their albums Heavy Weather and Mysterious Traveller, among others. Now, the SNJO rekindle that energy, presenting fresh arrangements of Weather Report’s bestloved tunes, with Artistic Director and drummer Alyn Cosker (pictured) leading the charge. These performances promise to capture the band’s restless spirit and electrifying sound via expanded arrangements and solos. Dates are: Edinburgh, The Queen’s Hall (26 Sept), Aberdeen,…

The highly acclaimed jazz-folk trio Quercus – singer June Tabor, saxophonist Iain Ballamy, and pianist Huw Warren – return to UK stages this autumn for their first tour in six years. Formed in 2006, Quercus blend traditional folk with jazz improvisation, creating a distinctive sound that’s won them fans across the UK and Europe. Tabor, twice BBC Folk Awards Singer of the Year, first rose to prominence in the 1970s and has collaborated with Maddy Prior and Oysterband. Ballamy, a founding member of Loose Tubes, has led groups including Anorak and the ECM duo Food with drummer Thomas Strønen. Warren, known for lyrical piano and inventive writing, has worked with Maria Pia de Vito, Mark Feldman and Erik Truffaz. Their first shows since 2019 include: Kings Place, London (19 Oct);…

Tauhid (1967) Recorded while Sanders was still a key member of John Coltrane’s final group, Tauhid features a stellar group of avant-garde luminaries including incendiary guitarist Sonny Sharrock. Already, his interest in non-Western music is apparent, with the brief and dainty ‘Japan’ conjuring an Eastern-tinged theme. ‘Medley: Aum/Venus/Capricorn Rising’ is prime 1960s free jazz, with Sanders blowing wild. But ‘Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt’ is the jewel. After a quietly exploratory first section with fragile flute and scattered percussion, a gorgeously uplifting vamp emerges with Sharrock strumming a breezy soul riff and Sanders pouring pure joy from the horn. Karma (1969) Probably Sanders’ most popular and critically acclaimed album, Karma is dominated by the 33-minute track ‘The Creator Has a Master Plan,’ which originally stretched over two sides of vinyl.…

It was the hottest ticket in town. Sold out weeks in advance, tickets were fetching five and six times their face value – if you could find a tout. On 16 July 1978, the day of the concert, it was bumper to bumper from halfway up North Highland Avenue to the Hollywood Bowl. Although not due to start until 7pm, a steady stream of fans had been arriving since mid-day with picnic baskets, food, drink and elaborate spreads of every description. Feasts for a Sunday afternoon. Outside, the 20-foot high billboard read: ‘Hollywood Bowl. Chuck Mangione – Sold Out. Feels So Good. Tonight 7pm. Recording Live’. It was going to be an ambitious production, a 70-piece string section, a 13-piece brass and saxophone section and Mangione’s quintet. Grant Geissman was…

Mulatu Plays Mulatu Strut Records STRUT482CD/LP (CD, LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Mulatu Astatke (vb), Carlos Nino (perc, elec), Kibrom Birhane (p, ky) and Dexter Story (prod). Rec. date not stated Since western audiences fell in love with Ethiopiques 30 years ago, Mulatu Astatke, one of its key pioneers, if not the godfather of the genre, has enjoyed icon status. And rightly so. The progressive, rhapsodic Ethiopian music he made in the 1960s and 70s, with its spellbound scales, modes and melancholic themes that are never forgotten once heard, sounds more modern than ever. Having released roughly a dozen albums Mulatu revisits emblematic tunes on this new set as if to underline what a fabulous body of work he has. Backed by an excellent acoustic band that has the driving percussive…

Faces of Night ACT Music ACT8034 (CD, LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE David Helbock (p), Julia Hofer (b, el b, clo), Lorenz Raab (flhn), Mahan Mirarab (g) and Veronica Harcsa (v). Rec. 20-21 May 2025 Austrian David Helbock, at just turned 40, has already about a dozen albums to his name. His integrated style makes full use of the whole grand piano – all the keys and the inside. It’s unique, inimitable, exceptional. This is his first recording with bass player Julia Hofer, who is, similarly, startlingly accomplished. Listen to the fretless bass lead on ‘Purple Rain’ (yes, the Prince tune!) and you’ll understand just how good she is. She is also a cellist, and the cello comes to the fore, notably on the lovely ‘Woman’s Dance’ and Helbock’s ‘Dark Soul’.…

Without Further Ado, Vol 1 Mack Avenue MAC12031 (CD, LP, DL) RECOMMENDED Christian McBride (b), Rodney Jones (g), Xavier Davis (piano, kys), McClenty Hunter, Jr. (d), plus various personnel including Samara Joy, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Sting and Dianne Reeves (v). Rec. date not stated Following their acclaimed 2020 release For Jimmy, Wes & Oliver, Christian McBride and his Grammywinning big band present another powerhouse collection, Without Further Ado, Vol 1, this time in the company of an extraordinary lineup of vocalists. Many of the beautifully detailed big band charts featured on the album grew out of McBride’s tenure (since 2012) as MD for the annual NJPAC Gala, and it’s an absolute treat that these sumptuous arrangements have now finally been recorded. 'Murder By Numbers' sees Sting and Andy Summers reunite…

Five From ’65 – The Quintet Summer Sessions: Boppin’, Smokin’, Groovin’, Comin’ On, Cool Burnin’ New Land X006 (5 LP, DL) RECOMMENDED Chet Baker (flhn), George Coleman (ts), Kirk Lightsey (p), Herman Wright (b) and Roy Brooks (d). Rec. 1965 Originally issued on Prestige, these five quintet LPs, gathered together here by New Land (in a beautifullypackaged boxed set with notes and interviews by Baker biographer James Gavin) show us just how far Baker had moved musically by 1965, and since his recording debut with Gerry Mulligan in 1952. Expertly mastered from RudyVan Gelder’s original mono tapes, the sound quality is uniformly excellent, and we hear Baker on the cusp between bebop and post-bop. The band is made up of younger talents and they play with a real sense of…

Love Is Here Transcendence Sounds 23040 (2 CD, 2 LP, DL) RECOMMENDED Pharoah Sanders (ts, v), Danny Mixon (p, org), Calvin Hill (b) and Greg Bandy (d). Rec. 17 November 1975 There are plenty of nods here to Sanders’ work in the previous decade with John Coltrane, some of the tenor sounds in the extended three-part suite that gives the album its title having some of the growls and vocal tone of Ascension. But what we hear across this double disc set from Transcendence (part of the Elemental stable of labels) is an early example of the great communicator Pharoah became as time went on. A patch of free playing between the first and second movements of the suite holds the audience in the Radio France studio rapt, and as…

BBC RADIO 2 88-91 FM and DAB Jamie Cullum show (Tues, 9pm) BBC RADIO 3 90-93 FM and DAB 'Round Midnight (Mon-Fri 11.30pm) Jazz Record Requests (Sun, 4pm) BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC DAB Gilles Peterson, Sat 3pm JAZZ FM DAB, Sky, Alexa, smartphone, tablet and online at jazzfm.com (Mon – Fri) 6.30am-10am Jazz FM Breakfast with Nigel Williams, 10am-2pm Danielle Perry, 2pm-6pm Afternoon drive with Simon Philips, 6pm-7pm Jazz FM’s Greatest, 7pm-9pm Jazz FM’s Dinner Jazz with Mark Walker. (Mon) 9pm-10pm Future Jazz with Ruth Fisher; 10pm-midnight Late Nite with China Moses. (Tues) 9pm-10pm Jazz Travels with Rouhangeze Baichoo; 10pm-midnight Late Night with China Moses. (Wed) 9pm-10pm Jazztronic with Dom Servini; 10pm-midnight Late Night with China Moses. (Thur) 9pm-10pm The British Jazz Show with Helen Mayhew; 10pm-midnight Late Night with…