Modern, polished, and delicate, this self-titled album builds faith in the creative vision of the younger generation. Drawing on the jazz traditions that precede it – but having its own twist – the album features 8 pieces that act as a conversation between band members and the audience. “Strands” is composed of Benjamin Phipps (double bass), Alistair Johnson (saxophone), Deven Rahman (trumpet), … Read more
Vocalist Louisa Rankin and Clarinetist Jason Noble have joined forces to create a supremely human listening experience. As noted by the duo ‘spel’ is a real word that means ‘a play, a game; to exercise oneself in diversion, an amusement or recreation’ which intentionally captures the catalyst and soul of the partnership. Set amidst a … Read more
Looking to expand your knowledge of the contemporary music scene? Here’s our pick of some of the most famous modern jazz guitarists you should check out… From the very origins of the music firstly the banjo and then the guitar have been a feature in jazz. More portable than piano for travelling bands, and easier … Read more
The big band era of the 1930s and 1940s heralded the interest in jazz as a popular music to dance to as well as listen to. With a wide variety of swing and dance bands, and the widespread use of radio broadcasts form venues around America, jazz had never been so popular. The big band … Read more
Of course, every fan loves to dive deep into the history of the music and check out the most famous jazz musicians of all time, but what about the current scene? Here’s our pick of some of the best modern jazz trumpet players. From the very beginnings of jazz, the trumpet, or its close relative … Read more
Nothing beats a great jazz ballad. No jazz performance is complete without at least one, and such is the appeal of ballads there are many artists who have made a complete album of just ballad material. With many song writers and composers writing jazz ballads for albums, stage shows or films many have entered the … Read more
The antithesis of bebop, cool jazz eschewed the fast tempos and jagged phrasing in favour of a lighter tone and tempos that were slower and more relaxed. In this article we highlight some of the most famous cool jazz albums and musicians… The term ‘cool jazz’ came into popular use around 1953 but had previously … Read more
“Music is nothing else but wild sounds civilized into time and tune.” ― Thomas Fuller Debut record ‘How We Cope’ by group Loose Leaf seeks to prove that music can, in fact, be both civilized and uncivilized, tamed and wild, timeful and timeless, tuneful and tuneless – that these qualities, both opposed yet in harmony, … Read more
‘This album is about believing… it is also about enduring… Not knowing when the darker times will end or the lighter times will be upon you.’ This explanation is found in the liner notes of Kristin Berardi’s brand new release ‘The Light And The Dark’. Kristin couldn’t have provided a better salve for the current … Read more
Roberto Pistolesi is an Italian drummer who was educated in classical music since childhood, starting to play drums in his teens and professionally since 1999. In 2006 he began to travel to New York, where he deepened his knowledge of drums and music. . There he studied with Kenny Washington, John Riley, Dan Weiss, Sam … Read more