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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Jan Kopinski's Reflektor - Mirrors

Fiery avant-jazz energy and intensity from Pinski Zoo saxophonist

14 Sep 2011

(33 Records) Jan Kopinski first came to prominence on the UK jazz scene with his band Pinski Zoo in the late 80s, and there is much of the fiery avant-jazz energy and intensity that lit up their music in this new album. Reflektor features the…

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…

Wesseltoft Schwarz - Duo

Norwegian ‘nu-jazz’ guru and techno producer make ambient jazz-meets-dance

24 Aug 2011

(Jazzland) The combination of piano and laptop computer would once have been pretty much the exclusive preserve of the free improv end of jazz, but Norwegian ‘nu-jazz’ guru Bugge Wesseltoft and techno producer Henrik Schwarz bring their collaboration…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Andre Canniere Group - Forward Space

London-based American trumpeter on bassist Michael Janisch’s Whirlwind label

1 Feb 2011

There is some good stuff appearing on bassist Michael Janisch’s Whirlwind label, and this outing from London-based American trumpeter Andre Canniere is no exception. He leads a fine band that includes guitarist Hannes Riepler and pianist George Fogel.

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…

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…

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…

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…

Robert Mitchell’s Panacea - The Cusp

6 Oct 2010

(Edition Records) Pianist Robert Mitchell follows up 2008’s trio album The Greater Good with this outing from his bigger Panacea group. If the trio reflected more overt jazz directions, the focus here falls more on song than instrumental music, with…

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…