Music and Jazz

Paul McCartney - Kisses on the Bottom

Macca covers 1920s and 1930s standards, with vanilla results

3 Feb 2012

Paul McCartney has the weirdest back catalogue of any Beatle. This is an album of the 20s and 30s standards his dad used to play and it's less weird than perplexing, thanks to the unfortunate choice of Tommy 'Mainstream' LiPuma as producer. After his…

Ibrahím Maalouf - Diagnostic

A groundbreaking album of brooding French-Arabic tones from trumpeter

1 Feb 2012

(Harmonia Mundi) The brooding French-Arabic quarter tones of Ibrahím Maalouf’s trumpet first seduced as guest on the late Lhasa de Sela’s desert island disc The Living Road. Bewitching then, Maalouf’s own debut with a brace of tremendous musicians…

Weather Report - Live In Cologne 1983

Decent but inessential instalment of the legendary jazz troupe's back catalogue

5 Jan 2012

(Art of Groove / Birdjam) This is the third in a previously unreleased sequence of very well recorded concerts featuring the band in Germany, and arguably the least essential, if only because the later phase of the band’s history was generally less…

Enrico Rava - Tribe

Great collaboration between Italians Rava, Gianluca Petrella, Giovanni Guidi and Giacomo Ancillotto

5 Jan 2012

(ECM) The great Italian trumpet master and trombonist Gianluca Petrella are a well-proven combination, and are joined here by a new rhythm section for Rava’s regular group, led by the excellent Giovanni Guidi on piano, and augmented on three tunes by…

Bill Wells' National Jazz Trio of Scotland to appear at Tracer Trails' Christmas Party

Another engagement for the ubiquitous collaborator and jazzman

9 Dec 2011

The National Jazz Trio of Scotland has never really been a trio. Nor has Bill Wells’ cheekily-monickered combo ever played jazz in the conventional sense. With a first album of original material – the waggishly christened Standards Volume Two…

Time Zone - Crossing The Line

London-based sextet bring together contemporary jazz with music of Cuba

7 Dec 2011

(Spherical Records) This London-based sextet led by trumpeter Loz Speyer are on a mission to bring together restless contemporary jazz and the music of Cuba, with a touch of Eastern European rhythm thrown in. This latest outing, featuring seven of…

Bill Wells - Lemondale

One of Wells’ most ambitious and enchanting records to date

15 Nov 2011

(Double Six) You wonder if Bill Wells ever sleeps. The Glasgow indie / avant-jazz catalyst has already made one of the albums of this year in Everything’s Getting Older, his exquisite union with Aidan Moffat – not to mention his forthcoming National…

Empirical - Elements of Truth

Most diffuse and wide-ranging release to date

10 Nov 2011

(Naim Label) Empirical’s drift away from their early bop-oriented leanings continues on their most diffuse and wide-ranging release to date. There is a deliberately spacey, dream-like feel to much of the music, referencing Messiaen and Björk…

Breach - On The Walk

Edinburgh-based trio's reflective, atmospheric textures and energised workouts

10 Nov 2011

(Breach) This Edinburgh-based trio features three of the leading musicians on the current Scottish jazz scene, guitarist Graeme Stephen, pianist Paul Harrison focusing on organ and electronics in this setting – and drummer Chris Wallace. Each…

McCormack & Yarde Duo - Places and Other Spaces

Saxophone and piano duets display impressive empathy and mutual understanding

28 Oct 2011

(Edition Records) Saxophone and piano duets are clearly all the rage this month. Pianist Andrew McCormack and saxophonist Jason Yarde approach the format with impressive empathy and mutual understanding on a set of original material by one or other…

Celtic Connections 2012 line-up announced

Glasgow traditional music festival features 2100 artists and 300 events over 18 days in 20 venues

26 Oct 2011

This year's festival will include 2100 artists, 300 events, 20 venues all over 18 days. Being that winter is in the offing, you now wake up in the morning for work and its dark, you then head home from work and its dark. One thing that will surely…

Rob Hall & Chick Lyall - Blithe Spirit

Melodic compositions combine jazz, classical and folk

20 Oct 2011

(FMR Records) Hall and Lyall are familiar figures on the Scottish jazz scene, and their third duo recording reveals an even greater refinement in their thoughtful, inventive music. Their melodic compositions combine jazz, classical music and a touch…

Alex Garnett - Serpent

Agile, fresh-sounding contemporary bop from English saxophonist

14 Sep 2011

(Whirlwind Recordings) At just over 40, English saxophonist Alex Garnett has taken his time in making his recording debut as a leader, but in the interim has built a considerable track record in a wide variety of settings. That depth of experience is…

Linley Hamilton - Taylor Made

Belfast trumpeter's bop-inspired work

24 Aug 2011

(Lyte Records) There is some good jazz coming out of Ulster these days, and trumpeter Linley Hamilton is one of the people making it. His CV includes work with Van Morrison and Paul Brady as well as more mainstream jazz connections, and the choice…

Aquarium - Aquarium

16 Aug 2011

(Babel) A strong debut from pianist’s Sam Leak’s quartet, another genre-mixing contemporary outfit from the London jazz scene. His opening tune, ‘Strangers’, evokes both lyrical jazz and the rhythmic pulse of minimalism, ‘Grasshopper’ expands from…

Hidden Orchestra, Queen’s Hall, Wed 27 Jul 2011

Dubby, lush sounds from Edinburgh-based jazz orchestra

8 Aug 2011

The List was intrigued to see what Hidden Orchestra’s live show would look like. The band’s debut album – 2010’s Night Walks – was based on the careful building, sampling and layering of tracks in the studio; something damn difficult to create in a live…

Billy Jenkins - Jazz Gives Me The Blues

Virtuoso renditions of some of jazz and blues' finest

3 Aug 2011

(VOTP Records) I suspect you either get Billy Jenkins or you don’t, with no half measures. The guitarist’s latest assault on our preconceptions about jazz, blues, guitar playing and life in general will please those in the first category, but…

Leroy Jones Band - Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

The trumpeter visits Edinburgh after appearances in TV drama Treme

21 Jul 2011

‘I was in an episode two weeks ago with my local quintet. I was performing one of my original compositions for about a minute and twenty seconds.’ Bandleader and trumpeter Leroy Jones is bubbling with pride over his recent appearance in an episode of…

Niki King & The Elements - It’s All Good

New York-based Scottish jazz vocalist with new band and soul-funk sound

13 Jul 2011

(Soul Route Records) When Edinburgh jazz vocalist Niki King relocated to New York at the end of last year, it was inevitable that the city would lend its magic to her creative impulses. So, with the backing of her new ten-piece New York band, The…

Pascal Schumacher Quartet - Bang My Can

Subtly structured contemporary European jazz from vibes player

13 Jul 2011

(Enja) The Luxembourg vibes player added Scottish saxophonist Konrad Wiszniewski to his quartet for some gigs late last year, and that extra bite that his horn brought to the music feels sadly missed now. That said, there is still plenty to enjoy in…

Lynne Arrialle - Convergence

American pianist's intriguing compositions and inventive pop reworkings

13 Jul 2011

(IN+OUT Records) American pianist Lynne Arriale has maintained a high-quality output since her emergence in the mid-90s, and this latest offering more than maintains that standard. Arriale’s trio with bassist Omer Avital and drummer Anthony Pinciotti…

Edinburgh International Jazz and Blues Festival 2011 - highlights

Tommy Smith, Courtney Pine, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and more

8 Jul 2011

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble A high energy blend of New Orleans horns and live hip hop beats, this Chicago nine-piece return to raise the Spiegeltent from its moorings. Barack Obama, Jay-Z and David Byrne are among the fans of this exciting block party…

Trombone Shorty profile - Edinburgh Jazz Festival 2011

Youthful jazz pioneer and composer set for Edinburgh date

8 Jul 2011

'Oooooh! Trombone Shorty! My man!' This is how the 25-year-old jazz musician from New Orleans is greeted by fellow (and fictitious) horn player Antoine Batiste in David Simon's new HBO television show, Treme. Simon's follow-up to his hard-hitting cop…

Kitty Daisy & Lewis - Smoking in Heaven

Sibling trio release a ska and swing-flavoured second album

29 Jun 2011

(Sunday Best Recordings) In the wake of their eponymous debut album, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis have rightfully earned themselves a reputation for being a group of highly talented and original masters of transcendent rock 'n' roll. They return here with…

Mulatu Astatke set for Glasgow Jazz Festival

Ethio-jazz pioneer visits Scotland for the first time

21 Jun 2011

An alto saxophone line snakes slowly over shimmering vibraphone and sensuous Latin percussion. Horns create a dreamy, exotic mood as Ethiopian modes meet Western scales. A buzzing guitar or grooving organ might come in, bringing a touch of slow-burning…

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - The 1st Album (1973)

Sensationally funky West African music from a 16–piece with brooding organ melodies

13 Jun 2011

(Analog Africa) In 1970s West Africa, various creative ensembles emerged in the former French trading post of Cotonou, Benin; notably the vibrant Orchestre Poly-Rythmo. Their distinctive earthy grooves mined a musical axis involving neighbouring…

Fire! With Jim O’Rourke - Unreleased?

Members of The Thing, Tape and Wildbirds & Peacedrum

13 Jun 2011

(Rune Grammofon) Saxophone behemoth Mats Gustafsson is best known for his work with baws-oot jazzers The Thing, but Fire! is a relatively controlled affair, more rock-oriented improv than free jazz. Gustafsson, bassist Johan Berthling (Tape) and…

Quentin Collins/Brandon Allen Quartet - What’s It Gonna Be

Breath of traditionalism amid experimentalism of London jazz scene

13 Jun 2011

(Sunlightsquare Records) A breath of traditionalism amid the experimental directions currently dominating the London jazz scene from trumpeter Quentin Collins and saxophonist Brandon Allen, with Ross Stanley on Hammond organ and Enzo Zirilli on…

Julian Lage Group - Gladwell

American guitarist's multiple genre style quietly captivating

13 Jun 2011

(Emarcy Records) American guitarist Julian Lage made a big impression as a teenager when he appeared with Gary Burton at the Glasgow Jazz Festival a few years back, and is now maturing into an idiosyncratic and fascinating artist. Like Bill…

Matthew Halsall - On The Go

Miles Davis-inspired jazz trumpeter delivers accomplished third album as band leader

27 May 2011

(Gondwana Records) I first heard this Manchester trumpeter through his impressive work on saxophonist Nat Birchall’s Guiding Spirit, and this album – actually his third as leader – lives up to expectation. Birchall returns the favour here, and the…

John Martin Quartet - Dawning

Engaging debut from the Wheeler and Ballamy-backed saxophonist

17 May 2011

(F-ire) Approving testimonials from the great Kenny Wheeler and Iain Ballamy immediately create certain expectations on the likely structures and soundscape to be found in saxophonist John Martin’s first album. The music is often understated, but…

Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat - Everything’s Getting Older

A great jazz, folk and spoken word collaboration

25 Apr 2011

(Chemikal Underground) Lovers of a collaboration both – Bill Wells with The Pastels and Isobel Campbell among others, Aidan Moffat with the likes of Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite and FOUND – it was really only a matter of time before this pair got it…

Trilok Gurtu with Simon Philips - 21 Spices

The percussionists join forces with 19 other musicians from the NDR Big Band

20 Apr 2011

(Birdjam) Scottish audiences have already had a taste of percussion master Trilok Gurtu’s large scale spectaculars at Perth Concert Hall and Celtic Connections, and this release captures another in that sequence, co-led by drummer Simon Phillips (of…

'Straw, Sticks and Bricks' by Outhouse displays jazz-edged boundary-crossing

Line-up for third album features Icelandic guitarist Hilmar Jensson

14 Apr 2011

(Babel) Outhouse belong in the same leftfield area of contemporary UK jazz as bands like Acoustic Ladyland, Polar Bear or Led Bib, but have their own distinctive slant on the jazz improvisation-meets-grungy rock-meets-noise aesthetic prevalent in…

Matana Roberts: Live in London

Saxophonist Roberts is joined by Robert Mitchell, Tom Mason and Chris Vatalaro for great live album

24 Mar 2011

(Central Control) American saxophonist Matana Roberts is something of a standard bearer for the 60s avant-garde (as befits someone introduced to the music of Albert Ayler as a five-year-old), but with a contemporary twist. This concert set from…

Twelves: The Adding Machine

Jazz musician Riaan Vosloo finds inspiration in some personnel adjustments

21 Mar 2011

(Babel) The expansion of bassist Riaan Vosloo’s band to a quartet from the earlier Twelves Trio, and their switch for this second album to Babel, a well-established significant outlet for experimental jazz in the UK, has allowed the group to expand…

Scottish National Jazz Orchestra with Kurt Elling

Legendary jazz vocalist gets backing of the country's biggest jazz band

4 Mar 2011

As mouthwatering prospects go, this meeting of arguably the world’s top jazz singer and arguably the UK’s finest jazz big band is as good as it gets. Elling has only performed once before in Scotland, also with a big band (from Norrbotten), and the…

Fringe Magnetic: Twistic

Jazz/classical hybrid from band leader Rory Simmons, featuring Jamie Cullum and Elisabeth Nygaard

3 Mar 2011

(Loop Records) Jamie Cullum makes a guest appearance here, but don’t be fooled into expecting anything else very Jamie-like (come to think of it, not even his own duet with Elisabeth Nygaard). Trumpeter Rory Simmons leads this eclectic band through a…

Food, with Eivind Aarset, to perform as part of Dialogues festival

The jazz-electronica duo team up with the Norwegian guitarist for an intimate gig at Voodoo Rooms

3 Mar 2011

Jazz experimentalists Food have carved a niche over the past few years in forging ahead with wide-ranging collaborations. The core duo of saxophonist Iain Bellamy and percussionist Thomas Strønen are great practitioners of improvisation, and bring…

Stan Tracey - Sound Check

1 Mar 2011

(Resteamed Records) This double album is something of a family affair, in which the veteran pianist teams up with son Clark on drums for a fairly free-form set of duets on the first disc, and then adds bassist Andrew Cleyndert for a more…

Curro Fuentes & The Big Band - Cartagena! Cumbia and Descarga Sound of Colombia 1962–72

1 Mar 2011

(Soundway) This fabulous record beams you right into the 1960s Colombian coastal scene courtesy of Curro Fuentes, son of the family owners of the pioneering Discos Fuentes recording company. One summer Curro formed a supergroup-styled orchestra…

Theo Travis - All I know - An Anthology

Collection from ambient music/prog rock British jazz saxophonist

11 Feb 2011

Saxophonist Theo Travis has been a significant presence on the British jazz scene for a couple of decades now, while simultaneously making a name for himself in ambient music and prog rock, notably as a member of Gong and Soft Machine Legacy. This…

Rudder - Matorning

Dense jazz-rock experiments from New York-based quartet

11 Feb 2011

Rudder is a New York-based quartet featuring saxophonist Chris Cheek, keyboard player Henry Hey, bassist Tim Lefebvre and the powerhouse drumming of Keith Carlock. Together they brew up a serious maelstrom of groove-based music, cooking up a potent…

Jazz musician Zoe Rahman's exploration of Bengali music

Mercury Prize nominated pianist set for St Andrews and Dunfermline shows

8 Feb 2011

Zoe Rahman is classically-trained and has explored the music of her father’s Bengali culture, although her own upbringing in Chichester was very English. Despite her wide-ranging musical interests, she has no doubt where her primary loyalty…

Meadow - Blissful Ignorance

8 Feb 2011

(Edition Records) A blissful combination that brings together three of the most creative musicians in European jazz, saxophonist Tore Brunborg, pianist John Taylor and drummer Thomas Strønen. Throwing together tasty ingredients doesn’t necessarily…

Eduardo Niebla - My Gypsy Waltz

28 Jan 2011

(LMR Records) While Eduardo Niebla wittily illustrates his debt to diverse cultures with a photo of himself brandishing his guitar alongside a rustic, horse-led gypsy caravan, it’s his debt to rich family community that makes his music resonate…

Yaron Herman Trio - Follow The White Rabbit

3 Jan 2011

(ACT Records) Yaron Herman was a promising basketball player for the Israeli junior national team until a knee injury ended his serious sporting ambitions. He turned instead – at the relatively advanced age of 16 – to piano, and has made a…

Roscoe Mitchell & The Note Factory - Far Side

Art Ensemble of Chicago founder delves into constantly shifting densities of sound

23 Dec 2010

(ECM Records) Best known as founder of the still active Art Ensemble of Chicago, saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell has been a key figure at the more adventurous end of the American jazz spectrum for over four decades. His music delves into constantly…

Chris Garrick - Flight Mode

Violist clearly aware of long history instrument in jazz

15 Dec 2010

(Flying Blue Whale) Violin has a long history in jazz, going back to early pioneers such as Stephane Grappelli, Stuff Smith and Joe Venuti, but has never been a dominant presence. In modern terms, Jean-Luc Ponty, Didier Lockwood, Regina Carter, Nigel…

Jay Phelps - Jay Walkin’

23 Nov 2010

(Proper Records) Many young jazz musicians have been either praised or damned for retro tendencies in the last couple of decades, but Jay Phelps (formerly of Empirical) openly embraces a backward-looking perspective on this debut album as a leader.

Billy Jenkins - Born Again (And The Religion Is The Blues)

Inimitably skewed guitar solos and quirky lyrics from UK jazz one-off

23 Nov 2010

(VOTP Records) Jenkins is a one-off on the British jazz scene, and continues his singular rampage through the blues here (it’s his second album this year, following the more jazz-based I Am A Man From Lewisham, and he has also re-released a load of…

Finn Peters - Music of the Mind

15 Nov 2010

(Mantella Records) Arguably all music is at least initially of the mind, but there is an extra degree of literal description in the title of the saxophonist’s latest project. Peters worked with Dr Mick Grierson at Goldsmith’s University to map his…

David Liebman Trio - Lieb Plays The Blues À La Trane

2 Nov 2010

(Daybreak/Challenge) Saxophonist David Liebman has never hidden his debt to the example of John Coltrane, but is by no means just a Coltrane clone, and this scintillating live set finds him exploring the legacy in his own signature style on both…

Neon Quartet - Catch Me

2 Nov 2010

(Edition Records) Neon began life as a trio in which saxophonist Stan Sulzmann and vibes player Jim Hart were joined by Gwilym Simcock, but the latter’s departure has seen the group reconfigured in quartet format, with another rising star of jazz…

Soweto Kinch - The New Emancipation

26 Oct 2010

(Soweto Kinch Recordings) Saxophonist Soweto Kinch was widely touted as ‘the next big thing’ in British jazz last decade. Four years on from the ambitious but flawed A Life In The Day of B-19, Kinch returns with another fusion of hard-hitting…

Bill Frisell - Beautiful Dreamers

26 Oct 2010

(Savoy Jazz) The guitarist continues to plough his idiosyncratic furrow through American music with this new trio, featuring viola player Eyvind Kang and drummer Rudy Royston. The album also marks the switch to a new record label following a 20-year…

2010 Le Weekend bows out with Faust, Murcof and Tarwater

Pioneering Stirling experimental music festival also hosts Ben Frost, Bill Wells and John Butcher

6 Oct 2010

Since its inception in 1997, Le Weekend has brought a remarkable range of beautiful and challenging music to Scotland. ‘The idea of an experimental music festival, and also the idea of a festival in Stirling, was quite unique,’ says Alastair Campbell…

Tim Kliphuis - Acoustic Voyage

6 Oct 2010

Dutch violinist Tim Kliphuis is best known as a highly skilled exponent of the Hot Club swing style associated with Grappelli and Reinhardt, but this album attempts to focus instead on world acoustic music, including the unusual amalgamation of a…

Terry Callier lines up UK tour date

Warm and beautiful soul jazz veteran

22 Sep 2010

He was an old schoolfriend of Curtis Mayfield, a touring buddy of Gil Scott-Heron and, in the days when he was starting out in the clubs of his native Chicago, he saw John Coltrane play. Yet the first two decades of Terry Callier’s life in music weren’t…

Kate and Mike Westbrook - Fine 'n' Yellow

15 Sep 2010

(Gonzo) This latest disc from singer Kate and pianist Mike Westbrook is dedicated to the memory of Margery and John Styles, long-time supporters of their work, and was funded by a bequest to finance a commission left in Margery’s will. As such, it is…

Trudy Kerr & Ingrid James - Reunion

15 Sep 2010

(Jazzizit Records) Trudy Kerr has been UK-based for some time now, but is originally from Queensland, home of Ingrid James. As the title suggests, the two singers are old friends, and met up again for this set of swinging jazz interpretations. Both…

Michael Formanek - The Rub And Spare Change

7 Sep 2010

(ECM Records) Bass player Michael Formanek will be familiar to anyone who has followed the New York downtown scene, and his wide-ranging CV goes all the way back to his time in jazz-rock fusion group, Tony Williams’s Lifetime as an 18-year-old.

Raymond MacDonald International Big Band - Buddy

1 Sep 2010

(Textile Records) While saxophonist Raymond MacDonald’s International Big Band is on one level an extension of his work with the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra, the musicians involved give the project its own distinctive stamp within the soundscape of…

Jacky Terrasson - Push

19 Aug 2010

(Concord Jazz) Pianist Jacky Terrasson initially came to prominence in 1993 as winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk competition that year. After a long association with Blue Note, the pianist makes his debut on Concord with this release…

Céline Bonacina Trio - Way Of Life

19 Aug 2010

(ACT Records) It was one of the Munich-based label’s established stars, guitarist Nguyen Lê, who recommended French saxophonist Céline Bonacina to ACT, and he is a guest on four of the tracks on this debut album. Bonacina’s main instrument is the…

D.O Misiani and Shirati Jazz - The King of History

Classic 1970s Benga Beats from Kenya

13 Aug 2010

This is the kind of mesmerising music that has you moving before you know it: undulating guitar rhythms flow like a brook over pebbles while sweet vocals chant stories over rubbery bass and the steady tickety-click of percussion. Daniel Owini Misiani…

Sarah Connolly

Mezzo soprano returns to jazz roots

12 Aug 2010

Among other things, 2010 is likely to be memorable as the year of the mezzo-soprano at the Edinburgh International Festival. Joyce DiDonato, Petra Lang and Christine Brewer, who replaces the indisposed Susan Graham, are just three of the famous names…

Ali McGregor

A versatile diva, doing jazz this time

12 Aug 2010

As soon as Ali McGregor takes to the stage to sing she has the audience captivated for the rest of the evening. A seasoned performer (she has appeared in La Clique, and in The Opera Burlesque at previous Fringes) she commands the stage with her warm…

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Chicago fusion of jazz, hip hop and funk

8 Aug 2010

This nine-piece comprising eight horns and a drummer are not what you might expect at the Jazz & Blues Festival.

Five hirsute gents tickling our fancies (and chins) this month

Look out for these bearded men at this year's Festivals

5 Aug 2010

Phil Kay Furry Fringe veteran Kay makes no fewer than four fuzzy-faced appearances this year. His kids’ show Gimme Your Left Shoe makes a welcome return; there’s a solo show in the evening called In Tweed; a late-night radio show titled RadioFree; and…

Nnenna Freelon's Homefree adds a contemporary twist to standards

A smoothly accomplished, comfortable sounding outing

5 Aug 2010

Classy jazz singing from the American vocalist that manages to give a contemporary twist to standards without getting too mannered or precious in the process. Freelon puts her stamp on such well established songs as ‘The Lamp Is Low’, ‘The Very Thought…

Afro-Beat Airways: West African Shock Waves, Ghana & Togo 1972–1978

Analog Africa's latest compilation is a testament to 1970s Africa

5 Aug 2010

Drawing from the archives of Ghanian label Essiebons and PolyGram West Africa, Analog Africa’s latest compilation is testament to the cosmopolitan culture of 1970s Africa. Tracks by Ebo Taylor and Orchestre Abass offer intricate polyrhythmic grooves and…

NeWt play Led Zeppelin at the Jazz Bar

Hyper-imaginative and unconvential jazz trio

30 Jul 2010

What Is It? A hyper-imaginative and unconventional jazz trio formed by Australian trombonist Chris Greive, Aberdonian guitarist Graeme Stephens and American drummer Chris Wallace, all Edinburgh residents. Who are these guys? Three of the best…

Ali McGregor – Jazz Cigarette

A sexy soulful rendition of songs that inspire

30 Jul 2010

It’s a fine woman who can wrap her vocal chords round Ella, Billie and, er, Britney, with suitable pizzazz. This is sexy soulfulness at its finest, with a harp thrown in. Having warmed up with stints in La Clique and Variety-Nite, here she keeps it real…

Cindy Blackman - Another Lifetime

29 Jul 2010

(Four Quarters) Although she has worked in many jazz contexts, American drummer Cindy Blackman’s widest exposure has come as a long-standing member of Lenny Kravitz’s band. Tony Williams was the first drummer she ever saw, and this outing is a…

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival 2010 - Curtis Stigers interview

The 'jazz warbler' on sex, lies and ballet recitals

23 Jul 2010

In Edinburgh for the Jazz & Blues Festival, Curtis Stigers talks to The List about sex, lies and ballet recitals First record you ever bought ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’, by Elton John. First film you saw that really moved you I remember…

Nalle - Wilder Shores of Love

23 Jul 2010

(alt.vinyl) Inspired by the Greek myth of doomed lovers Hero and Leander, and named after a Cy Twombly painting, the third album by vocalist Hanna Tuulikki, viola player Aby Vulliamy and multi-instrumentalist Chris Hladowski fuses ancient and modern…

John Goldie's newest album Picked in The Past is a tribute to the artist's influences

The artist presents his musical roots in a series of 70s rock covers

22 Jul 2010

(Watercolour Music) John Goldie has earned a considerable reputation as a jazz guitarist, but his personal musical roots go back to 70s rock, and this is his tribute to that era, albeit played on acoustic guitar. It all started when he worked out a…

The Euan Burton / Tom Gibbs Group release debut album Forgotten Things

Two familiar figures in the Scottish Jazz scene launch new album at Glasgow Jazz Festival

22 Jul 2010

Bass player Euan Burton and pianist Tom Gibbs are already familiar figures among the younger musicians making an impression on the current Scottish jazz scene, and their debut album, launched at the recent Glasgow Jazz Festival, is a pleasing affair.

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival 2010 begins

China Moses, Niki King and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble among highlights

22 Jul 2010

The ten-day fest kicks off again, and among our recommendations, we would include China Moses, an American singer based in Paris, with a soul background and a near obsession for the troubled diva, Dinah Washington; Niki King, Scotland’s own smoky-voiced…

The xx, Biffy Clyro and Dizzee Rascal among favourites for 2010 Mercury Music Prize

Spotify playlist: Mercury Music Prize 2010

20 Jul 2010

The shortlist of contenders for this year's Mercury Prize was announced today. The £20,000 prize is awarded to the best album of the last 12 months, as chosen by a panel of music industry members. Among the 12 acts competing for this year's prize are…

Porgy and Bess takes centre stage at Edinburgh International Festival

Opéra de Lyon's production of Gershwins' crossover classic

16 Jul 2010

As operas go, it’s fair to say that Porgy and Bess blew in like a hurricane. When George and Ira Gershwin’s self-styled ‘American folk opera’ featuring a libretto by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward appeared on the New York stage in 1935, its cast of…

Richard Fairhurst's Triptych - Amusia

7 Jul 2010

(Babel Label) Richard Fairhurst won 1994 ‘Young Jazz Pianist of the Year’, and caught the ear with a series of albums with his group Hungry Ants, but has not really made the impact that his early emergence suggested. Nonetheless, he remains an…

Newt - NeWt 2 feat. Silke Eberhard

2 Jul 2010

(F-IRE Presents) The unconventional Edinburgh-based trio of trombonist Chris Greive, guitarist Graeme Stephen and drummer Chris Wallace already embraces three nationalities (Australia, Scotland and America respectively), and are augmented here by…

Tim Richards Trio - Shapeshifting

24 Jun 2010

(33 Records) This is Tim Richards’ first trio recording since 2003, and marks a return to jazz activity after taking two years out to study for a Masters in Composition. The pianist may be best known for his work in Spirit Level and the subsequent…

Stephane Kerecki Trio - Houria

24 Jun 2010

(Zig-Zag Territories) French bassist Stephane Kerecki occasionally recalls his countryman Henri Texier in his approach to combining group improvisation with composition, but he is very much his own man, and brings an intriguing mixture of influences…

Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra with George Burt and Susan Alcorn

3 Jun 2010

Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra, led by saxophonist Raymond MacDonald, can always be relied upon to add some experimental intrigue to the largely classicist Jazz Festival, and this year sees them develop their relationship with Baltimore pedal steel…

Stan Tracey

1 Jun 2010

Back in 1997, the Glasgow Jazz Festival staged a special concert celebrating Stan Tracey’s 70th birthday. We wondered then how much longer the pianist would continue to perform. The answer is that he is beginning to look indestructible. Regularly…

Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra

1 Jun 2010

Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra have performed in Edinburgh a couple of times, but this closing night concert will be the Glasgow debut for the celebrated New York-based big band. They take their name from their base of…

Nat Birchall - Guiding Spirit

1 Jun 2010

(Gondwana) Nat Birchall is a saxophonist from the Manchester area, deeply in thrall to the example of John Coltrane, and especially Coltrane’s strongly modal 60s music. Even his tune titles carry a distinctly Trane echo, but it would be wrong to mark…

James Morton's Porkchop - Don’t You Worry ‘Bout That

1 Jun 2010

(Fresh Ground Records) Bristol alto saxophonist James Morton has worked regularly with Pee Wee Ellis (of James Brown fame), and clearly soaked up the American saxophonist’s soul-jazz-funk ethos. The dance-floor friendly grooves and soulful licks draw…

Music festivals 2010: Festivals timeline

28 May 2010

From Rock Ness to Roskilde, Glastonbury to Glasgow Jazz Festival, we list the best of the many great fests happening throughout the summer. Which one(s) will you choose?

John Scofield & Vince Mendoza - 54

19 May 2010

(EmArcy Records) American guitarist John Scofield was a recent guest of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra in a scintillating programme of arrangements of music from both Miles Davis’ electric phase and Scofield’s own jazz-fusion tunes. This album…

Gil Scott Heron

HMV Picture House, Edinburgh, Mon 26 Apr 2010

12 May 2010

At over three score years, novelist, poet and musician Gil Scott Heron cuts a dapper, if weathered figure. Slender and sage-like, he resembles a jazz Gandalf. His famous baritone cuts through the packed auditorium, here to witness the return of a true…

CocoRosie - Grey Oceans

21 Apr 2010

(PIAS) Remember trip-hop pantywaists Sneaker Pimps? Disconcerting swathes of this fourth long-player from CocoRosie will jog your memory if need be. Thankfully the US-born, Paris-based sisters’ foray into cry-baby drum’n’bass is bedimmed by a collage…

Gil Scott–Heron on UK tour in support of new album I'm New Here

15 Apr 2010

Polemicist, ex-prisoner, poet – Gil Scott–Heron’s spoken word diatribes are charged with political passion and fused with jazz, proto-rap and blues rhythms. As he arrives in Scotland, Paul Dale traces a life lived politically Between the moon and…

Paul Motian - Lost In A Dream

14 Apr 2010

(ECM Records) Drummer Paul Motian has had a long and productive association with ECM that goes back almost to the inception of the label in the early 70s, and although the near-octogenarian no longer tours, he still performs in New York, where this…

Raphael Imbert Trio - N_Y Project

14 Apr 2010

(Zig-Zag Territories) Saxophonist Raphael Imbert is a new name to me, although Scottish audiences will get a chance to check him out first hand when he plays in Edinburgh at the end of the month. His previous work includes a project combining the…

Humcrush unites members of Food and Supersilent for Edinburgh Dialogues gig

31 Mar 2010

Part of the Dialogues festival of electronic music, Humcrush make a much-anticipated return to Edinburgh after their last visit to the Bongo Club in 2006. The Norwegian duo consisting of percussionist Thomas Strønen and keyboard player Ståle Storløkken…

Orkestra del Sol line up date showcasing new show in Glasgow

31 Mar 2010

Returning with a brand new 2010 show, Orkestra de Sol generally deliver a bedazzling, euphoric and riotous live performance. Describing this gig as ‘a game of top trumps but with musicians not cards’, the top trump of the orkestra will be decided…