Music, Rock and Kenny Mathieson

Partikel - Cohesion

Trio’s flexible, responsive interplay maintains interest in material a little samey at times

27 Jan 2012

(Whirlwind Recordings) From the same label, Partikel are a London-based saxophone trio led by Duncan Eagles, with Max Luthert on bass and Eric Ford on drums. Sonny Rollins probably remains the most famous exemplar of the challenges and rewards of the…

Rachel Musson's Skein - Flight Line

Welsh saxophonist debut album is a set of her own exploratory compositions

23 Dec 2010

(F-IRE Presents) This could easily have slipped under the radar, but like much on the F-IRE Collective label, Welsh saxophonist Rachel Musson’s debut album is worth checking out. She has studied with saxophonist Julian Siegel and worked with drummer…

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…

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…

Travis & Fripp - Live At Coventry Cathedral

29 Mar 2010

(Panegyric) Guitar legend Robert Fripp and jazz saxophonist Theo Travis explore an intricate and atmospheric soundscape on this live set, the last of four UK dates they played in May 2009. The duo recorded a well received studio album, Thread, in…

Polar Bear - Peepers

25 Feb 2010

(The Leaf Label) Polar Bear’s music has already been dubbed ‘post-jazz’ in some quarters, and it is easy to hear why a conventional jazz sensibility might struggle to allow them within the fold. Regard them as a freely improvising rock band, with…

Bobby McFerrin

6 Jan 2010

Celtic Connections has always cast widely for artists, and jazz musicians have figured in the programme over the years, but few with quite as high a profile as American singer Bobby McFerrin. Actually, singer doesn’t quite seem to cover it in McFerrin’s…

Mike Stern - Big Neighbourhood

15 Oct 2009

Guitarist Mike Stern sees the big neighbourhood analogy as central to his musical philosophy as well as a way of encompassing the diverse line-ups and musical styles on this latest album. Recorded in New York, Los Angeles and Texas (and that is a very…

Celtic Connections - Béla Fleck

8 Jan 2009

What’s in a name? In the case of Celtic Connections, not much, or at least, nothing too literal. Anyone who insisted on the strict application of the name would have found themselves left well behind almost from the launch of the festival back in 1994.