Terence Collie is a talented pianist, composer, and leader. At age seventeen, he joined a band in Jersey, Channel Islands which led to a weekly gig at the Blue Note Bar in St Helier, where he experienced playing supportive concert slots for visiting artists including Teddy Edwards, The Average White Band, Georgie Fame, Andy Sheppard, Jason Rebello, and Digby Fairweather. In …
It’s the energy that grabs you. I reviewed Benet Mclean’s ‘The Bopped and The Bopless’ back in 2016 and have not tired of it. So, it was a little trepidation I pressed ‘play’ on Mclean’s latest release ‘Green Park’. I mean, how can you top ‘The Bopped and The Bopless’? Mclean does not even try …
120_Alarm comprises Steve Thompson (Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Nigel Kennedy, Robert Smith, Lisa Stansfield) on Electronics, Laser Harp and Keyboard, Tamar Osborn (Akram Khan, Collocutor, Kelis, Van Morrison, Billy Ocean) on saxophone and flute, Emma Bassett (Adele, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Tim Minchin) on trombone, Alistair ‘Titch’ Walker (Divine Comedy, Doolally Tap) on trumpet, Ollie Weston (Amy Winehouse, …
Northern Flame by Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat Emma Johnson’s Gravy Boat comprises Emma Johnson on tenor saxophone, Fergus Vickers on electric guitar, Richard Jones on piano, Angus Milne on double bass, and Steve Hanley on drums. This collective is fast achieving recognition as one of the most innovative and diverse collectives around. I discovered Johnson …
The Ages | Richard Davies (bandcamp.com) Richard Davies has followed up ‘A Pagan Landscape’ and ‘Travel Without Movement‘ with another interesting and thematic release with ‘The Ages.’ Exploring combinations of sounds, Davies extends his curiosity through a series of tracks, creating a mesmeric and at times, thoroughly absorbing album. The tracks are titled simple RD …
This is an instrumental of sublime levels… The drums are dusty and warm, reminding you of old jazz records, fused with a vinyl crackle, and it just whisks me back to listening to records on a really good hi fi system, it just sounds so natural. You can’t always get that with a sample of …
As it’s Tom’s birthday today I decided to review one of his biggest hits. This song has so much soul, mixing jazzy rhythms with a beautiful Rhodes piano and a saxophone solo – oh don’t forget the crunchy guitars… I got introduced to this song quite late in life, as I was discussing Fresh On …
SŌMuch are back and they’ve got an EP! This is one of the new tracks that hasn’t yet been heard. The sound is sophisticated, very polished – but what would you expect of a band mentored by Ralph Rolle of Chic? Let’s break it down. The back beat is laid back, the hats give the …
https://johnhollenbeck.bandcamp.com/album/letters-to-george John Hollenbeck is a genre-fluid composer/percussionist, renowned in both the jazz and new-music worlds. He gained widespread recognition as the driving force behind the unclassifiable Claudia Quintet, and the ambitious John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, groups with roots in jazz, world music, and contemporary composition. He has earned six GRAMMY nominations and has worked …
Courtney Pine has been part of the global music scene for decades. His constantly evolving approach to music, and jazz music, in particular, has made him an endearing and engaging musician. I have seen him perform with artists in different settings, from school halls to large fabled concert venues. Every time, Pine brings to the …
