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Jaimie Branch Obituary
Acknowledgment to International Anthem Label for the picture I have all too often sat down at my computer to note the passing of a creative musical spirit. Mostly they have been musicians with a...
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Dan Costa ~ Pianist & Composer
. Dan Costa was born in London to Portuguese and Italian parents. He has lived in eight countries. I mention this, because Dan is somewhat of a troubadour, frequently travelling from country to...
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Dave Lisik Interview
This interview took place while jazz trumpeter Dave Lisik was in London on study leave. It had been teed up for some time but our plans were interrupted by the chaos that trailed on the heels of...
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Volume One ~ Darren Pickering Small Worlds
New Zealand’s Rattle records contain a cornucopia of wonders and the recent release of ‘Small Worlds Vol One’ by Darren Pickering is the latest. Pickering is a Christchurch-based musician and this...
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Tyler Cooney ~ Modern Ideal
Since emerging from the shadows in the 50s, the Jazz guitar has become one of the most popular instruments with Jazz audiences. And, despite the plethora of styles appearing since then, most modern...
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Meditations ~ Mutations ~ Julien Wilson
A famous conductor of classical music once stated that a good composition would please almost everyone, but that a truly great composition should divide an audience. With improvised music, it is...
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Goldsmith/Baynes ~ E Rere Rā
This lovely album by Allana Goldsmith and Mark Baynes is timely because it arrives at a crucial historical juncture. For a long time after the period of colonisation the beautiful indigenous language,...
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Swings & Roundabouts ~ Mark Lockett
Mark Lockett has released his seventh album Swings & Roundabouts, arguably his finest. The project had been in gestation for a while but like many projects, it was delayed by the pandemic. Still,...
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Conversations ~ Nacey/Haines
It is not the first time Kevin Haines and Dixon Nacey have recorded together and I hope it won’t be the last. There is a symmetry binding these musicians, one born of respectful dialogue between...
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The Outsider ~ Chris Cody
The Outsider is the latest release by acclaimed Jazz Pianist Chris Cody, and as with his previous albums, he unflinchingly holds a mirror up to life past and present. Cody has demonstrated an uncanny...
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Circling the Edge
It is on the margins that the most interesting discoveries are made. The manifestations are bolder because they are not as beholden to the gravitational centre. Whether freshly minted or previously...
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Tomasz Stańko ~ Desperado
This post is the first of two book reviews. The books I review dovetail as they are part of the same story. Tomasz Stańko and Krzysztof (Komeda) Trzciński were bandmates, but they were more than that....
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Komeda ~ A Private Life In Jazz
Komeda is one of the most intriguing characters in the European Jazz Pantheon. A man referred to as the Chopin of modern Polish music. So, who was he and why did a musician who only released one...
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The Quantum of Magic
William Butler Yeats said, ‘The world is full of magic things, waiting patiently for our senses to grow sharper’. I believe this absolutely and am reminded of it when my senses connect with a certain...
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A Quieter Place in Times of Turmoil
There are many ways to navigate troubled times. You can deny reality, scream into the void, surf the waves of absurdity, bitterly declaim, or seek quiet while you gather your thoughts. Many prefer the...
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Reviews From The Edge
Fragile Magic & Tenging ~ Ingi Bjani (Iceland) Before I became aware of the trio albums, I was already familiar with the Ingi Bjarni Quintet through his Tenging album, which I can only describe as...
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