Show of Hands Festival was originally ideated by the Iranian composer/producer Ramin Sadighi who was Founder and CEO of Hermes Records. Its first three editions (2017-2019) took place in Teheran before the pandemic took hold, with a roster of international [...]
PostModern Jukebox is the creation of pianist and arranger Scott Bradlee, who had launched this UK tour three days earlier, at the Royal Albert Hall. (Link to interview with Scott Bradlee below) Bradlee was not present at the Cambridge performance, [...]
A persistent breeze dispersed any accumulating haze, but the Truman Brewery courtyard nonetheless stank of cigarettes. Even in the early afternoon, a line stretched from the outdoor bar and towers of identically branded beer cups dotted picnic tables like wasp [...]
I cannot remember any living songwriting collaborators who have brought me more pleasure than Georgia Mancio (lyrics) and Alan Broadbent (composer). It was a bright, Spring day in Stapleford, and one could bask in the rich, varied music. Working on [...]
Bremen’s annual trade fair + conference + showcase festival (all rolled into one) has the vibe of a vast and friendly family gathering. A lot of effort goes in to making that vibe, that buzz, that energy – both from [...]
Prior to this evening’s show, my last encounter with the Neil Cowley Trio had been here, at the 2017 Gateshead International Jazz Festival. A very Janus-like performance, the first set was a track-by-track walk through of new album “Spacebound Apes”, [...]
Attendees were in awe as Alice Zawadzki’s voice soared into the air of Camden’s KOKO during the first live performance at the 2025 Jazz FM Awards with PRS and PPL. Joined by Fred Thomas on piano and Misha Mullov-Abbado on [...]
It’s early in the morning, this brain hasn’t had coffee and isn’t fully in gear yet, but I need to explain how some impeccably logical thinking came to fruition last night. Here goes: Theatre from the British Isles has a [...]
The glorious waves of the music furiously swirled and crashed around me, stirring all my senses and sending my spirits soaring. I thought: “This must be what white water rafting is like.” The Double Quartet of saxophonist and composer Paul [...]
This striking new quintet sport an ambitious name, and while it’s not stated what it is they are transcending, their debut gig certainly showed that they have a lot to offer. You’d know that from the personnel, all richly experienced [...]
