Scottish composer, classical guitarist, improviser and ensemble leader Simon Thacker and Edinburgh-based Polish cellist Justyna Jablonska cut across neoclassical-folk-experimental territory in their collaboration. The pair have issued a previous album, Karmana (2016), and the ease of their musical relationship is [...]
“La Fòla de l’Oca, an ancient and surreal refrain, a wild goose chase, is an ironic rigmarole that my grandmother would repeat when I was a child and that for me has the smell of the earth, of our countryside, [...]
A refined delicacy and timelessness seem to imbue pianist Gabriel Latchin’s compositions and define his pianism. When listening to his latest album, Viewpoint, words such as ‘impeccable’ and ‘elegant’ float to mind . Viewpoint is Latchin’s fourth album, consisting of [...]
Evoking Stephan Micus’ spacious and rich music, this entirely improvised album from Haftor Medbøe (guitar and effects) and Konrad Wiszniewski (saxophones), is a gem. Norwegian-born, Edinburgh-based Medbøe is omnipresent on the Scottish jazz scene. Professor of Music at Edinburgh Napier [...]
Swansong is an international jazz trio, formed in Berlin in 2010 by Hungarian pianist Gábor Csordás and Berklee-educated, Japanese electric bassist Noriaki (Nori) Hosoya. In 2016, Washington DC-based drummer Marty Risemberg took over from original drummer Andrea Zuliani. As well [...]
This poetic and captivating debut album by vocal and keyboard partnership Goldsmith Baynes appears to exemplify the currently vibrant jazz scene in New Zealand. A native Māori speaker from the east coast of New Zealand’s north island, Allana Goldsmith was [...]
When the electric saw made its appearance, I did wonder if the Monkeys might have gone too far. However, it turns out that the use of such appliances is all just a part of their stage-craft which has been honed [...]
If a blast of spring sunshine is what you’re looking for, here it is. Glasgow-based violinist and vocalist Seonaid Aitken has created one of the most uplifting albums of this season. While recovering from a serious accident last spring, Aitken [...]
This tenth album in four years from London-based free jazz quartet-turned-trio, Ill Considered marks a departure. Whereas their first nine albums of full-blooded improvisations were released without any post-production massaging, Liminal Space has undergone significant studio development and polishing. In [...]
