Fields of Color features ten new compositions from Belgian tenor saxophonist Matthias Van den Brande, all inspired by the painter Mark Rothko. Van den Brande is joined by his regular trio members Tijs Klassen (double bass) and Wouter Kühne (drums), [...]
Since relaunching in 2021, Livia Records has only released recordings from its archive – until now. EBB and FLOW is the label’s first contemporary release in nearly 40 years, and features one of the leading current figures in Irish jazz, [...]
Spondance is a 1986 octet performance of a jazz suite written by the pianist Jim Doherty, featuring his close friend Louis Stewart on guitar, plus six Los Angeles musicians: Bobby Shew (trumpet, flugelhorn), Bob Sheppard (alto sax), Gordon Brisker (tenor [...]
Anyone who knows Norwegian saxophonist Marius Neset for his jazz-classical crossovers is in for a surprise with Cabaret – a joyous, often boisterous album that sounds deeply inspired by eighties fusion music such as Weather Report and Michael Brecker-era Steps [...]
Safe Place sees brothers Julian Wasserfuhr (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Roman Wasserfuhr (piano) joined by cellist Jörg Brinkmann for a set of originals played with the intimacy of a family fireside chat. It’s the trio’s second recording after Relaxin’ in Ireland [...]
On Portraits, his eighth album on the ACT label, violinist Adam Bałdych has formed an all-Polish quintet with tenor saxophone, piano, double bass and drums to play original compositions informed equally by jazz and contemporary classical chamber music. Bałdych was [...]
Dermot Rogers tells the story of how he relaunched Ireland’s first jazz label Livia Records, and discovered a trove of landmark recordings by Irish guitar legend Louis Stewart. Several have been remastered and reissued, with recordings from other notable Irish [...]
The East London Community Band (ELCB) is a volunteer-run charity that gives musicians of any age, ability or instrument the chance to play music: from jazz, to early music, to classical. To celebrate their 50th anniversary they performed a multi-media [...]
Trygve Seim plays tenor and soprano saxophone and Frode Haltli button accordion. It’s a rare combination but one these two players have had plenty of time to hone: Our Time is their second ECM outing as a duo after Yeraz [...]
The album cover for Unfolding is a black-and-white photo of a cup of coffee on shade-dappled planks. It’s a good visual analogue for these musical conversations between Louis Sclavis (Bb and bass clarinets) and Benjamin Moussay (piano): intimate, relaxed, tenebrous [...]
