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American-born singer Raul Midón comes from an Anglo-Latino background with Argentine father and American mother and this is very much reflected in the way in which he defies categorisation, sometimes entering soul, pop rock and even folk territories at different moments, though a contemporary acoustic take on R ‘n’ B seems to be his preferred genre. There is in fact something of a 1970s feel to the singer and his influences would seem to include among others the jazzy pop singer Michael Franks, various folk-rock singer-songwriters and even Sting. He may well be being groomed for crossover pop chart territory and if so the jazzy influenced bossa groove of ‘Everyone deserves a second chance’ would be an ideal candidate and by some distance the album’s outstanding track. Another potential song for release as a single is ‘Don’t be a silly man’, where his voice is almost Sting-like while a more sensitive side to the singer is displayed on the mid-tempo ‘When you call my name’. Not everything works such as the pop-rock of ‘Next generation’ or the cod-reggae of ‘Invisible chains’, where Midón may be aiming to reproduce interest that Eric Clapton kindled on ‘I shot the sheriff’. The backing band is impressive to say the least with the cream of session musicians including Larry Goldings on organ, Dean Parks on guitar and Paulinho Da Costa on percussion with overall producer Larry Klein doubling up on drums on some songs. This album may well find a bigger audience in the States, but there is no doubting the talent of the singer who positively revels in diverse musical genres.  Tim Stenhouse

Soundway are making a virtue out of their ongoing series devoted to Nigerian music and this latest volume rightly places emphasis on the less known aspects of the 1970s music scene, namely highlife and blues alongside the ever popularjuju. This makes a very pleasant departure from the sometimes fiery tempo of Afro-Beat and Soundway are to be congratulated for their wide-ranging selection of extremely obscure 45s from the artists contained within.  One of the revelations of this compilation is the influence of the blues upon Nigerian music and how this manifests itself in its localised interpretation. A fine example is to be found in the lovely blues-inflected hues on guitar of ‘Psychadelic baby’ by Fubura Sekibo with incessant percussion. More laid back in approach is the irresistible dancefloor groove of Etubom Rex Williams and his Nigerian Artists who deliver a cool collective chant with warm saxophone solo on ‘ISIP 2’. In general there are some wonderfully inventive names of groups throughout with perhaps pride of place going to the Professional Seagulls Dance Band of Port Harcourt and the delicate intro to ‘Ibi awo iyi’ before horns enter and the tempo shifts decisively upwards. Classic juju sounds arrive in the shape of James Etamobe and his All Weather Band with a relentless percussive beat on ‘Agboyabakpa’ while highlife from the masterful Bola Johnson and his Easy Life Top Beats impresses on ‘Jeka Dubu’, with a more uptempo take on the genre being offered by Commander in Chief Stephen Osita and his Nigerian Sound Makers on ‘Onyeb chi’. Afro-Beat is not altogether forgotten with one number, the intriguingly titled ‘Lords prayer’ (though bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the original) by the Don Isaac Ezekiel Combination, displaying the influence of Fela in the group sound. Overall a truly excellent overview of much neglected side to Nigerian music internationally, certainly outside West Africa, and re-mastered 45s that retain all the clarity and power of when they were first released. As always with a Soundway release, much care and attention to detail in the evocative visual cover and informative inner sleeve notes. Tim Stenhouse

Following on from the revelatory sounds of Tiniwaren, another Tuareg group whose native Tamashek language cuts across the political boundaries of Algeria, Libya, Mali and Nigeria, are being introduced for the first time to an international audience with their debut global album, ‘Adagh’. As with Tinariwen, Tamikrest are as much a visual as they are a sonic treat and it was via the Festival of the desert concerts during 2008 that a musical collaboration was founded between the band members and U.S./Australian rock veterans Dirtmusic who have brought their technical savoir-faire of studio procedures to help Tamikrest complete the project. There is an overall trance-like quality to several of the songs and this reflects in part the nomadic existence which the group members have experienced with especially adverse political and social conditions for their people in recent times, and certainly the band see themselves as being spokespersons who are able to use their music as a vehicle to highlight the plight of their people. The guitar riff on the atmospheric ‘Aîcha’ hints at a distinctly Arabic feel, though both funk and rock guitar influences are instantly discernable on this song and this makes for an intriguing mix. Hypnotic and encapsulating are two adjectives that immediately spring to mind when hearing ‘Tidie tille’ while the opener ‘Outamachek’ possesses a relentless driving blues-rock beat with ‘oulala’ chanting and even the hint of a reggae influence on rhythm guitars. A more reflective side to the band’s sound is displayed on ‘Aratane n’adagh’ which gradually builds in intensity and on the melodic ‘Alhorya’. Recorded at the Bogolan studios in Mali, this is a truly beautifully produced album that nonetheless enables the rougher edge to the music to come to the surface. Both Tamikrest and Dirtmusic (whose album will be reviewed shortly) are expected to tour the UK during 2010 and this promises to be a major event for fans of African and world roots music more generally. The evocative gatefold sleeve and beautifully illustrated inner sleeve provides a glimpse of both the beauty and also the harshness of the desert and bi-lingual lyrics in English and French enable the listener to better appreciate the political struggles that Tamikrest and their fellow Tamishek speakers face in the twenty-first century.  Tim Stenhouse

Coinciding with the forthcoming hosting of the football World Cup in South Africa this summer, Strut have wisely decided to take an in-depth look at the wealth of musical sounds on offer in the country and as part of a three volume series (with volumes two and three to follow during spring and summer devoted to soul, funk and hammond grooves, and jazz respectively) comes the first instalment which focuses fairly and squarely on the township music of Soweto, known locally as Mbaqanga.  A variety of styles fused to create this sound and of the twenty songs on offer one hears gospel, rumba, folk and even jazz inflections condensed into the tasty singles that were released back in the 1970s. From listening to the uplifting sounds one would hardly realise that this music, predominantly from the seventies era, came at a time of major political unrest during the apartheid regime, yet it was precisely because of the extreme harshness of the then conditions (not that present daily economic conditions at least have improved a great deal from that era) that people from the townships needed music to heal the soul. Gorgeous female harmonies dominate from groups of the calibre of the Mahotella Queens and Mahlathini Queens. For the former the horn-led ‘Zwe Kumusha’ stands out while for the latter veterans ‘Umkovu’ impresses. Among the lesser known acts, the Mgababa Queens 45, ‘Maphtuthi’, contains a killer chorus and sensitive use of guitars and is unquestionably a highlight on the compilation. Jazzier hues are heard on the instrumental ‘Kuya hanjwa’ by S. Piliso his Super Seven with piano vamps and a super bassist, seemingly taking a leaf out of the innovations of Abdullah Ibrahim outside of his native country at the time. Rhythm guitars are to the fore as well as honey-toned harmonies on the opener by the Melotone Sisters and the Amaqola Band, entitled ‘I sivenoe’. With the compilation weighing in at just over fifty minutes even for twenty songs, one would ideally have liked to hear a few more examples of this joyous sounding music, but what the compilation lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in the actual quality of the sounds. Without requiring any use of synthesizers, Soweto township music nonethless succeeded in creating a deep layered sound based around terrific musicianship and this is one of the most impressive aspects of the music heard here. No details of the individual artists or songs contained therein with the promo copy reviewed. Strut are to be congratulated for unearthing these hard to find 45s in the first place and the re-mastering is crisp and clear while not taking away the earthier production skills that were an integral part of music at this time.  Tim Stenhouse

Multi-reedist Sebastien Texier comes from an impeccable French jazz family background, being the son of bassist Henri and this excellent trio outing will do a great deal to enhance the standing of the former as a leader in his own right. In fact the ambience is very much that of the now defunct Label Bleu label out of France and there is sparse intimacy to proceedings that is not dissimilar to Steve Lacy, or even the classic Sonny Rollins mid-50s recordings while other influences would probably include Eric Dolphy and Jan Garbarek. The all-original compositions are at once melodic and challenging and Texier alternates between clarinet on lyrical pieces such as ‘Lilian tears’, bass clarinet on freer improvisations such as on the bizarrely titled ‘Pain de singe’ (literally ‘monkey’s bread’) and more conventional soprano saxophone on some of the other pieces. A quasi-oriental feel permeates ‘Hyena’s night’ that picks up in tempo part way through and with plenty of gusto in the reed solo. Father Henri guests on three tracks, though regular trio bassist Claude Tchamitchian impresses, particularly on the co-written composition ‘Tango’. Evocative clarinet playing on ‘Yellow cab experience’ wonderfully conveys the urgency of a taxi ride in the Big Apple. A beautiful clarity of sound on the recording simply adds to the pleasurable listening experience. Now approaching his fortieth year, Sebastien Texier is definitely a musician to watch out for in the future. Tim Stenhouse

Another superb value two LPs on 1 CD release that captures clarientist Jimmy Giuffre at his absolute peak and in a chamber jazz setting that even today sounds as fresh as the day it was recorded. The coupling brings together the ‘Jimmy Giuffre 3’ and ‘Travelling light’ sessions, both dating from December 1956. They are definitive examples of what came to be known as the west coast sound in its most intimate of surroundings. On the former the line up of Jim Hall on guitar, Ralph Peña on bass and Giuffre on clarinet produces some superlative music, none better than a seminal version of ‘The train and the river’.
Above all it is simply the sheer joy of playing together that jumps aout at thel istener and this is no hasard encounter since the trio regluarly practiced together in bassists Peña’s Hollywood garage. The album cover says it all really with a classic photograph from none other than William Claxton. For the second album, we find a highly unusual combination of trio plus valve trombone with Giuffre alternating between clarinet and tenor saxophone with Bob Brookmeyer replacing Peña in trio duties on trombone. Despite the addition of brass, the trio still manage to maintain their individual as well as collective positions from previuosly and this is none better ilustrated than on the title track opener. Given the telepathic relationship betwene musicians contained on these albums, it is surprising that Giuffre and Hall only recorded once more and this was in 1963. One would have loved to hear the trio stretch out in a live setting. Extensive new liner notes and orginal Downbeat reviews of the albums greatly enhance our appreciation of the music within. A winner all the way and the starting point for all chamber jazz that followed including the great Oregon.  Tim Stenhouse

Swedish singer Josefine Cronholm belongs firmly in the singer-songwriter category and if anything her music verges towards the folk-rock era of early Joni Mitchell with the odd nod to jazzier inflections as previous collaborations with former Miles Davis percussionist Marilyn Mazur have hinted at. Now resident in Copenhagen where the album was recorded, Cronholm has co-produced a reflective and intimate album that in some ways is comparable to Joni’s ‘Blue’ recording. This is most evident on ‘Winter princess’ which is, perhaps, her finest vocal performance while ‘Quiet’ enters Norah Jones territory and with the subtle use of trumpet is the closest that Cronholm gets to jazz. Pared down instrumentation on the folksy ‘Seagulls’ with just guitar to accompany impresses and the use of strings is never intrusive. In general the sparseness of the musical environment merely reflects Cronholm’s own upbringing in the wide expansive forest land of Sweden. The project is the brainchild not only of Josefine Cronholm, but of co-arranger, producer and fellow musician Henrik Lindstrand. The majority of the album is in a similar laid back mood and some change in tempo would have provided the listener with a little more variety. Nonethless this has plenty of potential to appeal to a diverse audience from folk fans through to mainstream pop.  Tim Stenhouse

This CD captures David S. Ware in a live performance at the Abrous Art Center and is a full-on solo saxophone performance from October 2009.  There are only three extended pieces on offer and at forty minutes there could have been a more generous coupling for the listener, possibly with a trio or even quartet outing. Nonetheless for devotees of Ware, this will prove to be a rewarding experience. Ware introduces reed instruments that became famous with Roland Kirk in the 1960s and 1970s such as the stritch (a kind of elongated soprano saxophone for the uninitiated) and the less well known saxello. Far from being squawking melodic-free improvisations, there is a great deal of solemn reflection in ‘Anthe’ and even joyous gospel spirit in ‘Pallene’. Not for the faint hearted among saxophone aficionados, Ware is to be commended for his no holds barred approach and no attempt at any kind of compromise to commercial pressures whatsoever. His fans would expect no less.  Tim Stenhouse

This the much anticipated follow up to Mulatu’s album with the Heliocentrics, this time recorded in Addis Adaba, Boston and London, and it does not disappoint. Throughout there is an effortless feel and the original 1960s and 1970s atmosphere of his original classic albums is rekindled without it being in any way contrived. The music is inspired by Astatke’s travels, taking in residencies at Harvard university where he taught and even recent tours to France. The latter is alluded to in the mid-temp groover that is ‘The way to Nice’ , featuring a muted harmon solo, while for the former ‘Radcliffe’ has a distinctive late night set at the Village Vanguard feel with jazzy vibes helping to create a moody and reflective ambience. A lovely laid back jazz groove is conjured up on ‘Ethio blues’ which betrays a homage to Duke Ellington in the use of horns and to Milt Jackson and the Modern Jazz Quartet in the use of vibraphone. In a more uptempo vein are two reworkings of his earlier repertoire, namely the Latin-soul flavoured ‘Boogaloo’, which in style is reminiscent of both Mongo Santamaria’s ‘Watermelon man’ and Eddie Harris’ ‘Cold duck time’, and the heavy percussion workout number that is ‘I faram gami I faram’. This features a delightful Latin jazz piano vamp with wailing chanting and could just as easily be something that the Latin Jazz Sextet conjured up, with salsa-esque horns and haunting jazz-inflected vibes making this a clear album highlight. Modal piano hues in a larger setting that McCoy Tyner might be familiar with are demonstrated further on the big band latino of ‘Green Africa’ which echoes ‘Afro Blue’ in its form with an Ethiopian string instrument adding a touch of authenticity to proceedings. One minor gripe with this otherwise excellent release; the voice of Mulatu Astatke presenting the album on every single track does begin to grate by the end. This aside, ‘Mulatu steps ahead’ is a terrific example of Ethio-jazz with Mulatu Astatke’s sound as contemporary as ever.  Tim Stenhouse

Flamenco guitarist Juan José Heredia to give him his real name has always had an interest in jazz and this is reflected in the fusion of the two genres found herein. In fact he has even played as second guitarist on a recent album by Paco de Lucia and as such is greatly respected in the Madrileño music scene, having accompanied singer-songwriter Juan-Manuel Serrat, Cuban pianist Bebo Valdes and even flamenco great Enrique Morente. This album is partly recorded in Madrid and otherwise in New York where the guitarist has enlisted the services of some of the cream of jazz musicians in the Big Apple including saxophonist Phil Woods and trombonist Angel ‘Papo’ Vazquez. Produced by film director Fernando Trueba, who has been behind several excellent Latin jazz projects in recent years, the music oscillates between instrumental flamenco and flamenco jazz. An obvious homage to Paco de Lucia comes in the shape of ‘Camino de Lucia’ while the title track is a beautiful guitar reworking of the famous McCoy Tyner composition. For jazzistas, ‘Waltz for Bill [Evans] provides a showcase for Woods to excel musch in the way Paul desmond did way back on the Spanish-tinged pieces by Dave Brubeck. The catchy rumba ‘Gloria bendita’ has definite crossover potential and trombonist Vazquez takes an excellent solo here. An interesting album with plenty of avenues to explore in the future for Josele.  Tim Stenhouse

Canadian group the Soul Jazz Orchestra were formed in 2002 and have been influenced by a heady mixture of Afro, jazz, soul and Latin sounds with Fela Kuti, Mulatu Astatke and the McCoy Tyner big band obvious namechecks. Two previous albums were recorded for the Toronto label Do Right!, but this is their first for Strut with DJ Gilles Peterson a big devotee. The band work best on the big band numbers which display a Latin sensitivity such as ‘Serenity’. Here we find the more reflective side to the group with flute and clarinet solos featuring heavily. Likewise ‘Lotus flower’ impresses with its big band arrangements, modal bass and funky drumming. This is where the Soul Jazz Orchestra identity truly lies and perhaps a whole album in this particular vein would be a potential future project that might introduce them to a whole new audience, especially one specialising in jazz. Otherwise there is some manic Afro-jazz on ‘Mamaya’ that works quite well and some less successful Ethio-jazz on ‘Negus negast’. They simply sound too polished to carry off the gritty sound of jazz Ethiopian style. A more natural environment is that of spiritual jazz and the excellent Japanese koto intro to ‘Consecration’ leads into a wonderful mid-tempo groove with fine ensemble work by the brass section. The Pharoah Sanders club classic ‘Rejoice’ in two parts is given a decent reworking and after an introspective intro gives way to an Afro-beat treatment that departs from the original before finally settling into a jazzy interpretation with less emphasis on vibes than in the original.  An evocative cover picture depicts an ancient sundial in gold and orange.  Tim Stenhouse

Similar to Zaika Langa Langa in Zaire, the Super Wanyika Stars from Kenya have gone through myriad names and off-shoots (Wanyika Les Les, Super Wanyikas and Wanyika Stars among others), but this excellent compilation concentrates firmly on the period between 1982 and 1986 when Issa Juma was lead vocalist. Ironically the lead singer, along with other band members, was actually born in Tanzania, but would find fame if not fortune when the musicians settled in the Kenyan city of Mombasa, when they were initally known as Arusha Jazz. The Swahili style of rumba differs from the classic Congolese equivalent firstly in the absence of brass, a generally lighter feel and the greater emphasis placed upon the bass to propel the intoxicating rhythms on guitars. Sweet harmonies and lovely guitar work are a feature of ‘Barua’ while the infectious bass and keyboard riff on ‘Ma Eliza’ is matched by the harmony vocals. Shuffling drum patterns and catchy guitar licks permeate the pared down Sawhili rumba of ‘Si mimi (It’s not me’)’ with a wonderful breakdown part way through. One inidication of possible influences is evident on ‘Maria’ which, in its use of every daily life tales as lyrics, bears a remarkable ressemblance to the epic ‘Mario’ by Franco with again intricate guitar work brewing up a storm. In general these elongated rumba workouts (eight minutes being the shortest) are ideally suited to the CD format and as ever a beautifully illustrated inner sleeve with notes by writer Douglas Paterson on the band’s trajectory enhance our understanding. Sadly post-1986 health problems and the legal status of band members greatly reduced their output and by the early 1990s Issa Juma had passed away. This compilation, which is superb value at just under eighty minutes, catches the Wanyika Stars in their prime.  Tim Stenhouse

Swiss guitarist Nicolas Meier is a former Berklee school of music in Boston alumni like Gary Burton and Pat Metheny, and along with pianist Reinoso whom he met while a student there, has produced his fourth album which sounds very much like a mix of world roots with Turkish music predominant and Pat Metheny influences. Among guest musicians, Gilad Atzmon is featured on clarinet and saxophones and he works extremely well in this context. The jazzy opener ‘Sunrise’ impresses with an acoustic guitar solo and there is sensitive accompaniment too from Atzmon. The more traditional Turkish folk intro to ‘Journey’ with chorus into the bargain leads directly into a contemporary jazz piece where the comparison with Metheny is all too real and the pianist in particular has a definite penchant for Lyle Mays. The suites display both intimacy and introspection without absolutely enthralling the listener with Part IV probably the pick of the bunch highlighting some delicate flamenco-style guitar soloing from Meier. In general this is a pleasant album rather than an outstanding one and a grittier feel to proceedings might be in order for the future. Nonetheless the idea of fusing jazz and Turkish folk is an excellent one and an avenue that Meier should certainly continue to pursue. The evocative cover features a painting from Meier’s Turkish wife Songul.  Tim Stenhouse

This is actually a re-issue of an album that originally surfaced on CD on the little known Kora records back in 2001. Now augmented by a bonus cut, it is an excellent reminder of how the rare African funk/soul/rock scene has progressed in the subsequent decade with a plethora of compilations. Up until then European knowledge of funk-based African music was largely restricted to the Afro-Beat sounds of Fela Kuti. The music on offer covers a number of west and central African countries, but it is the American and even European external musical influences (French heartthrob Johnny Hallyday being among them for francophone Africa) which bring them together and provide the common denominator. James Brown was an obvious disciple for many African musicians, notably after his spellbinding concert in Kinshasa in 1974. For Sierra Leonian Geraldo Pino, Brown was a seminal influence with ‘Heavy. heavy, heavy’ betraying a strong American soul influence. Pino had moved to Lagos in Nigeria by 1968 and it was there that he was exposed to the rise of soul bands. The song featured here possesses a relentless rhythm with nice use of keyboards throughout. Brass laden and bass heavy is one way to describe the echoey produced Mercury Dance Band on ‘Envy no good’. In the band’s drum pattern, they are unquestionably influenced by Fela and the atmospheric recording (sounding like it was made in a cave!) gives a real punch to the song. One of the most melodic songs on the compilation is by Kenyan funk band Steele Beauttah and the simply titled ‘Africa’. This mid-tempo number from 1976 has funk rhythm guitar in abundance. Catchy rhythms also dominate on the Ghanaian soul of K. Frimpong and his Cuban Fiestas on ‘Kyenkyen bi adi m’hanu’ with gorgeous horns. This is arguably the compilation’s most impressive track with vocal chanting and trumpet solo. From 1974 ‘Fever’ (not the classic song immortalised by Peggy Lee) by Jingo has had parts one and two segued together over a driving chakacha rhythm complete with fuzzy synths, flute and rhythm guitar. Fully deserving of a second issue, this time round ‘Afro-Rock’ should reach a much wider audience.  Tim Stenhouse

Lovers rock as sub-genre of reggae entered music vocabulary in the early 1980s and some argued that it was a specifically UK-based phenomenon (true to a certain extent and many of the best practitioners of that era were indeed British artists such as Janet Kay and Carol Thompson, though Jamaican singers of the calibre of Sugar Minott immediately embraced it as well), but in reality there have throughout the history of Jamican music been songs about love, particularly during the rock steady era, and the lovers title simply officialised what was in fact a startlingly obvious musical reality. For this excellent new compilation, a host of reggae singers, new and veteran, have been drafted in to sing in the smooth souful style associated with the sub-genre. Several classic soul tuned have been covered and the singers are to be congratulated for not going for the obvious contenders, but instead selecting some real gems. Among these Ian Andrews’ impassioned vocals on the Donny Hathaway soul standard ‘Someday we’ll all be free’ are outstanding while Jamelody impresses on one of the later Stevie Wonder compositions, ‘Ribbon in the sky’, that was originally hidden away on the 1982 Best of compilation ‘Musiquarium’. Jamelody’s raspy voice is ideally suited to this song. The Dells classic ‘Love we had stays on my mind’ is given a faithful rendition by Sanchez while modern roots master Luciano displays another side to his portfolio on ‘Through the years’. Former Studio One star Winston Francis contributes ‘I call it love’ and Britain’s very own Janet Kay shows that she has not lost her touch with ‘Take a bow’, a single that went to number one on the Billboard chart in may 2008. At a time when the similarities between seemingly disparate musical styles are being explored (soul and country, blues and African), it is heartening to know that the commonality of reggae and soul is once again the focus of attention and this well designed compilation goes some way to illuminating and enhancing our knowledge of the connections.  Tim Stenhouse

Legendary producer, engineer and dub master King Jammy, like King Tubby before him, served a similar apprenticeship first of all in the musical background as an electrical engineer. This undoubtedly served him well, enabling him to build his own equipment and in so doing he was inspired by and rubbed shoulders with the likes of producers Bunny Lee and Yabby You. It was in 1977 that Jammy started to produce the roots 45s for which he become rightly famous and this is the pretext for where this wonderful present compilation begins. Black Uhuru were the first group to go onto major success that he would produce and a fine example of their early sound is heard here in ‘Tonight is the night to unite’. Lesser known at the time, but thanks to the excellent Pressure Sounds compilation brought to our attention once again in recent times are the roots harmony group the Travellers and ‘Jah gave us this world’ is a definitive example of the roots genre. There are some rare gems wisely included in the selection, most notably the 12” extended mix of Earl Zero’s ‘Please officer’ with its accompanying dub which is better known as Augustus Pablo and ‘Pablo in moonlight city’. In fact for many the dub version is better known than its vocal companion! There are some other delicious surprises of late 1970s roots such as Frankie Jones’ ‘Collie George’ with conscious lyrics and beefed up percussion while Johnny Osbourne, primarily known as one of the early pioneers of dancehall, is a wonderful roots singer as illustrated on ‘Jah ovah’ and Barry Brown was similarly impressive on ‘It a go dread’.  The second CD takes the story forward a little further with roots in transition before dancehall came to become the dominant style. For the former the Jays, a class roots act at Channel One during the 1970s, embraced the dancehall style in their own way on ‘Jah do love us’ and not dissimilar to the Wailing Souls for Greensleeves on their early 1980s productions. Jammy still allowed his roots artists’ harmonies to take precedence while modernising the production sound and this was part of his genius to repackage classic sounds in a new musical context. This was further exemplified on the socially conscious Natural Vibes’ ‘Life hard a yard’ and on the early dancehall hit ‘Time a moment in space’ for Wayne Smith. That dancehall and roots could combine to good effect was suggested once again on the early 1980s 45 by Black Crucial ‘Conscience speaks’. Classic riddims being reworked is a common feature throughout Jamaixcan music and Lacksley Castell’’s ‘What a great day’ cleverly uses an anthemic Black Uhuru riddim to its advantage. Among a whole host of artists featured elsewhere on the compilation from Dennis Brown, Junior Delgado, Half Pint and Frankie Paul, Jammy made an immeasurable contribution to reggae music during the late 1970s and 1980s and just some of the vocal highlights are chronicled here. As with all Jammy productions, impeccable sound with percussion to the fore and crystal clear instrumentation and excellent sleeve notes place the music in a historical context. Tim Stenhouse

Columbia and its African cultural influences has been the subject of some fascinating books in recent years and slowly but surely there have emerged examples of the rootsier side of the music in the country. This compilation focuses attention on accordionist Anibal Velasquez and the somewhat rustic, yet nonethless endearing sounds that he conjured up with his conjunto, but it does come with a large caveat. Having reputedly released some three hundred albums (some of these would possibly have been our equivalent of a shorter EP), it is disappointing that the music within is so short in time with even a full copy only containing twelve titles. There was indeed a deliberate attempt by the compiler to cut out several styles for fear this would alienate the non-specialist listener, but surely the listener could have made their own mind up with a larger selection of songs on offer. This being said, if authentic accordion-led cumbia and vallenato styles (among others) are your bag, then you are in for a treat. A fast and furious percussive workout is a highlight on the guaracha ‘Que paso’ whereas ‘Mi cumbia’ is a rootsy vallenato tune which is largely instrumental bar a few chants. Other Cuban influences are discernable elsewhere as on for example ‘Los vecinos’ which is a prime example of the Cuban guajira, or country style and almost a carbon copy of Guillermo Portables who was surely in Velasquez’s mind at the time. More obvious cumbia grooves are found on ‘Cumbia Bogotana’ and repetition of riff and accordion are equally a feature of ‘Vestido nuevo (’New outfits’). While not available with the promo copy, the full CD does contain an extensive booklet. A welcome addition to our knowledge of Columbian music, then, but let’s be given a more generous sampling of the artists in future offerings.  Tim Stenhouse

As the title indicates, this is a selection of some of the world roots artists in contention for the prestigious Sonlgines Awards for 2010 and a well rounded overview of the scene it is too. West Africa is well represented by two of 2009’s best albums, the ngoni magic of Bassekou Kouyate on ‘I speak Fula’ and the wonderful Oumous Sangare on ‘Seya’. Both are indispensable parts of any African music collection. Less well known are the Kinshasa-based street musicians from the Congo, Staff Benda Bilili and their contribution in ‘Moziki’. This is simply terrific dance music and quite a departure from the smoother Congolese rumba we are used to with a rougher edge here, though the classic harmonies associated with the former are still very much in evidence. Touareg influences are manifest in ‘Tahult in’ from Tinariwen who have taken the world roots music scene by storm in the last couple of years. In a different light altogether is Cape Verdean singer Lura, resident in Lisbon like many of her contemporaries, and in ‘Maria’ fusing lusophone African and even Brazilian influences. Increasingly important is the world fusion category and this year a few interesting acts have emerged. They include a Scandinavian-Portugese fusion in Stockholm Lisboa project with Swedish string instrumentation allied to the gorgeous fado singing of Liana and the two elements come together wonderfully on ‘Corpo aceso’. American and African continents combine musically on a decidely Latinesque vamp for ‘Banjul girl’ which is a collaboration between long-time producer and musician Justin Adams and Malian Juldeh Camara. A mixture of Ethiopian and dub is found in ‘I love in Harar’ by Invisible System. One wonders whether either Dub Colossus or the amazing Tommy T. might have made a better choice here. Europe is represented by a number of one-off artists such as the celtic hues of Edinburgh-based group Shooglenifty on ‘The vague rant’ while a non-fado entry from Portgual comes in the form of folk group Deolinda and ‘Movimento perpétuo associativo’ with a hint of irony in the lyrics. Further afield north west China is one of the least known areas of music, yet in the reflective ethnic Kazaka singer Mamer and his song, ‘Mountain wind’, an artist truly deserving of wider recognition has been unearthed and is definitely one of the discoveries on the compilation. The Indian subcontinent is represented by an intriguing combination of the impassioned vocals of Pakistani Qawwali singer Faiz Ali Faiz and Middle Eastern string master Titi Robin that works extremely well. Overall another fascinating year of new sounds and there will be some difficult decisions in the final choices made. All good news for the world roots listener.  Tim Stenhouse

Released to tie in with a DVD documentary of Youssou N’Dour’s career which was part of the tour made around the time of the ‘Egypt’ album, this compilation provides a useful overview of his musical voyage thus far and highlights his strengths and on occasions weaknesses too. The former largely outweight the latter here with a timely choice of ‘Immigrés’, a classic African tale and never more relevant than in the present with stabbing brass reminding us of the earlier period in Youssou’s career. A glorious song. The mid-tempo shuffler that is ‘Birima’ is barely less enticing with lovely guitar work while percussion heavy staccato mbalax rhythms abound on ‘Atou réér na’. From more recent times and the acclaimed album devoted to Egyptian music, comes the kora driven piece ‘Yama’ which, similar to another song ‘Yaakaar (’Hope’), displays the more sensitive side to N’Dour’s repertoire. One criticism voiced of his music has been that on occasions it can be a tad over-produced and the layered production of ‘Xel (’Think’)’ is a case in point. However, one could counter this by putting forward ‘Lima weesi (’As in a mirror’)’ as very subtly fusing acoustic and synthesizers in a creative manner and doing so in an intimate setting. For long-time fans two new songs will be of interest and they include the title track and ‘Yonnent’ (’The messenger’). Meanwhile N’Dour’s explorations into new territory promise further opportunities for expanision with an album already available in France devoted to the music of Jamaica.  Tim Stenhouse

Formerly a Japanese only album, this excellent release allows is to listen to the pairing of two of Brazil’s finest musicians and in some ways recalls the seminal collaboration between Elis Regina and Tom Jobim, ‘Elis and Tom’, from 1974. This new recording is at once an uplifting and introspective experience with restrained and impassioned vocals from Joyce on the one hand and subtle and always refined acoustic and electric piano (including fender rhodes) playing from Donato. Mid-tempo bliss comes in the shape of ‘Amor das estrelas’ and it is the apparent simplicity in the delivery that impresses and belies the musical geniuses at play. This is a song that in structure at least is not dissimilar to ‘Waters of March’ by Elis and Tom. A classic interpretation of the standard ‘Xango e da Bac’ provides the pretext for an uptempo samba with scat vocals from Joyce while the catchy ‘E muito mas’ serves as a vehicle to highlight Joyce’s glorious voice. Two of Joyce’s old chestnuts and most loved songs among her fans, ‘Feminina’ and ‘Tardes cariocas’, are reprised to good effect with the latter featuring Joao cooking up some tasty vamps on electric piano. Elsewhere there is a reprise of ‘Amazonas 2’ and Joyce is totally at home on this song which is taken at a slightly slower tempo than on the original. Overall a strong album throughout and one longs to hear the pairing in a live context where both their extensive back catalogues can be heard in depth.  Tim Stenhouse

Singer-songwriter and, up until recent times Brazilian Minister of Culture, Gilberto Gil has made a virtue out of live recordings and for this latest effort has largely returned to the pared down surroundings of his earliest recordings from the mid-late 1960s, accompanied by son Bem Gil on guitar, and the percussive instruments of pandeiro and tamborim with very occasional vocalists Maria Rita and José Gil guesting on a couple of numbers. While his most popular period commercially dates from the late 1970s and early 1980s with songs such as ‘Palco’ and ‘Todo Menina Baiana’, this near seventy minute effort from a live performance in Sao Paolo in September last year focuses more on the early to mid-1970s period when he was making his name nationally, but had yet to really break the international market. Consequently, this CD captures the very essence of Gil and the acoustic format suits him well. Old favourites includes ‘Expresso 2222’ and his interpretation of Jackson do Pandeiro’s ‘Chiclete com banana’ while the title tracks of two of his most consistent albums, ‘Refazenda’ and ‘Refavela’, are revisited to good effect and were ones that cemented his reputation at the time. Among the (relatively) newer material, ‘Escotérico’ is a laid back number with a whistled intro and a lovely way to open the evening’s proceedings and ‘Lamento sertanejo’ is a part vocal, part scatted piece with only Gil himself accompanying on guitar to depict in musical terms the rugged landscape and daily life in the semi-arid Sertao region of north-eastern Brazil. English and Portugese lyrics combine on ‘O rouxinol’ (’Nightingale’) and Gil makes a decent stab at the only other standard ‘Saudade da Bahia’, written by the quintessential Bahian songwriter Dorival Caymmi. A separate DVD of the concert is available.  Tim Stenhouse

Swedish pairing of Oscar Simonsson and Magnus Zingmark have over a decade successfully fused jazzy samples with a catchy pop sensibility and enjoyed underground hits in the UK with the jazz-dance and electronic beats crowd with old-school jazz influences recalling 1980s club haunts such as Dingwalls in London and Berlin in Manchester. Of course ‘Waltz for Koop, taken from the 200s album of the same name, was a big favourite with DJ Gilles Peterson at the time and the familiar bass riff and subtle use of synthesizers typifies their sound. The Latin-inflected fresh as a summer breeze vocals of Yukimi Nagano on ‘Summer sun’ impress and unsurprisingly the album won a Grammy for best club/dance album of the year. Elsewhere jazz hues abound as on the uptempo song ‘I see a different you’, again sung by Nagano with the lovely use of vibes and the excellent percussive waltz on ‘Tonight’ with vocals provided by Mikael Sundin. Along with sampling beats, Koop specialise in mixing these with acoustic instrumentation and in this respect they are not dissimilar in outlook from Gotan Project, though the emphasis on jazz is greater with the former. The jazzy waltz that is ‘Baby’ includes a lovely flute solo from Magnus Lindgren and several top Swedish jazz musicians are called upon to contribute including former EST bassist Dan Berglund. An indication of the serious intent of Koop is found on ‘Prince of peace’ which features a bass riff and sample of Swedish contemporary classical music. At only forty minutes, this overview of the three albums recorded thus far could certainly have been a good deal more generous. However, by being lean on the time factor, the choiciest cuts are now available to all and sundry.  Tim Stenhouse

Vocalist Anita O’Day came to international prominence with her appearance in the film, ‘Jazz on a summer’s day’, but more generally was an early practitioner of what came to be known as the cool style of jazz singing. She was in fact a major influence on other singers of the period, most notably June Christy and Chris O’Connor, but had a wide vocal range and could scat with the best of them. Perhaps being a native of Kansas City exposed O’Day from an early age to blues and jazz sounds. The two albums contained within were originally released on the Verve label and all but one additional song date from April 1959 sessions when the jazz world was at a crossroads with ‘Kind of Blue’ imminent. Arrangements were made by Jimmy Giuffre who also doubles up on clarinet, tenor and baritone saxophone duties. By far the more intimate of the albums is ‘Cool Heat’ and this features a version of ‘Mack the knife’ that comes a close second to Ella’s classic rendition and excellent interpretations of ‘Come rain or shine’, ‘The way you look tonight’ and notoriously Anita scatting to wonderful effect on ‘Hershey bar’. Classic big band accompaniment is provided on the second arranged by Billy May in the first of a couple of collaborations between May and O’Day, the former of whom would go on to be one of the foremost producers of Frank Sinatra. A top session roster of musicians included guitarists Jim Hall and Barney Kessel, drummers Gene Krupa and Mel Lewis, and reedists Art Pepper and Bud Shank. Among the superb repertoire of songs that Cole Porter conjured up, ‘I get a kick out of you’, impresses’ as does ‘All of you’ and ‘What is this thing called love?’. O’Day would go on to record a series of excellent early 1960s albums collaborating with the Three Sounds and Cal Tjader no less before heroin addiction would keep her out of action for the good part of a decade. She would return triumphantly during the mid-late 1970s.  An excellent coupling of albums and as with the majority of American Jazz Classic releases, unbeatable value time-wise.  Tim Stenhouse

(American Jazz Classics) 5/5

The velvety tones of Sarah Vaughan never sounder finer than on this pairing of albums from 1954 and 1955 respectively. The former has the added bonus of featuring trumpeter Clifford Brown who only ever recorded with two other vocalists during his brief career, Helen Merrill and Dinah Washington. Some of the finest work of Vaughan ever laid down on vinyl is contained on this collaboration and they include definitive versions of ‘Lullaby of Birdland’ and ‘April in Paris’, though the set as whole is exceptionally strong throughout. Accompanying the two were musicians of a similarly high calibre such as flautist Herbie Mann and drummer Roy Haynes. Indeed the rhythm section is identical on both albums. For the second album, which featured an all-star larger ensemble (though no less jazzy), Ernie Wilkins was in charge of the orchestrations and enlisted the help of alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. Here Vaughan and the band excel on numbers such as ‘Cherokee’, ‘Soon’ and ‘I’ll never smile again’. Part of a much larger series of sides that Sarah Vaughan cut for Mercury/Emarcy (and available elsewhere as a weighty 23 CD box set), this CD condenses the genius of Sarah to its very essence and as such is a first choice recommendation for fans of jazz vocalese unfamiliar with her craft. Alternate version of songs were not included because of time limitations, the two albums together being just under eighty minutes in length. Tim Stenhouse

In recent years pianist Brad Mehldau has operated in a variety of formats from solo to trio, but on this latest recording he has gone one step further and included a quartet with saxophone and even a string orchestra as well as adding percussion and omitting bass in the aforementioned, and all this highlighting his own compositions. This represents by far his most diverse and ambitious album thus far and is testimony to the multiplicity of musical influences Mehldau has been soaking up and these include both the romantic period of classical composers such as Brahms and Tchaikovsky and the orchestrations of singers of the calibre of Jacques Brel and Tom Waits. Intimate duets, hispanicised-influenced numbers and layered orchestrations are just some of the new features on ‘Highway Rider’. Mehldau himself plays not only acoustic piano, but equally pump organ, electric piano and even orchestral bells. However, long-time fans should not be afraid, for it is primarily on acoustic piano that he plays here. 

The romanticism is most evident on the piece ‘John boy’ with Joshua Redman on soprano saxophone with orchestra, but minus bass. One of the revelations of this album is the rapport between Mehldau and Redman on the gorgeous composition ‘Old west’, a duet which opens up a whole new territory for the pianist to explore for a possible future project. The usual trio with Larry Grenadier on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums is at times augmented by an additional drummer, Matt Chamberlain, bringing to mind the use of an extra percussionist by both Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane during the 1960s. Here Chamberlain operates to bring more contemporary drum patterns to play, inspired by hip-hop and other newer musical forms. One example of this is the title track where very subtle sampling technique drumming is used to compliment the layered textures on electric keyboards and the format works equally well on ‘The falcon will fly again’. Flamenco influences are discernable on ‘Capriccio’ with handclaps while expansive film soundtrack sounds are evident on the epic twelve and a half minute opener, ‘We’ll cross the river’. There is quite a lot of music to take in here and plenty of new avenues for Mehldau to explore in more depth at a later stage. In general this is a supremely varied album that is ideally suited to being stretched over two CDs. A brief UK tour in early June promises to be another pianistic treat.Tim Stenhouse

Columbian music has rightly gained a higher profile in recent times with excellent compilations from Soundway to supplement the Cumbia greats past and present on previous World Circuit albums some twenty years ago. However, the funkier side to these Afro-Columbian flavours have seldom been seen or heard outside Columbia or its neighbours and therefore Vampi Soul are to be congratulated for enlisting the expert ears of DJ Pablo Iglesias to unravel some of the lesser known sounds and introduce some new names to a wider public. Afro-Columbian culture is not a single, easily identifiable sound, but is rather based round a somewhat looser concept of Afro-Columbian identity which tends to be situated geographically along the coastline of the country. All tracks derive from the illustrious independent label Discos Fuentes which was founded as far back as 1934 and the music contained within this selection dates between the late 1960s and 1980. Columbian salsa is distinctive with its crisp sounding percussion, but on ‘Salsa con tabaco’ by Afrosound a funkier ellement is added with wah-wah guitar and this gives the number a different feel. The same band excel on ‘Jungle fever’ with sensuous female warblings from vocalist Keri Kenton akin to those of Jane Birkin accompanying Serge Gainsbourg while there is opera-style singing on the funky ditty that is ‘El caterete’ by Wganda Kenya, another group fully deserving of wider recognition. Excellent cumbia is provided by Rodolfo y su Tipica RA7 on the classic tune ‘Tabaco y ron’ from 1970 and there is a fiery descarga from Fruko y sus tesos on ‘Descraga espectacular’ with percussion from Cuban conguero Tata Güines. Latin-soul with vibes and percussion thrown in for good measure are prominent on ‘Salsa boogaloo’ by Sexteto Miramar from 1968, doubtless taking a leaf out of the musical innovations at the time in Nueva York. With no less than forty-three choice cuts and lavish cover and artist photo illustrations in the deluxe inner sleeve, this is a treasure trove of information on a country whose myriad musical genres have been largely overlooked until the last decade to an international public. Perhaps some of the harder to find albums could be coupled together and re-issued for future release. In the meantime this worthwhile selection from Pablo Iglesias fulfills the very useful purpose of filling in some of the gaps.  Tim Stenhouse

Grouped together in slimline fascimile sleeves, Rhino have handily assembled five of the classic Ray Charles albums into one set. Chronologically this covers the period roughly from 1956 through 1962 when Charles was re-writing the music history books and crossing boundaries with ease. The first of these, ‘The Great Ray Charles’, captures the leader in jazzy mood (and an excellent pianist he was too) over a series of standards of which Horace Silver’s ‘Doodlin’ impresses and new original compositions such as ‘Sweet sixteen bars’ with David ‘Fathead’ Newman wailing on tenor saxophone are just as good. This captures merely one aspect of Charles’ repertoire to perfection. A year later the live recording, ‘Ray Charles at Newport’ surfaced and this introduced us to the call and repsonse vocals of Charles with the Raelettes. Both are outstanding on ‘The right time’ with New Orleans style piano and impassioned vocals from Marjorie Hendricks and on the seminal
‘I got a woman’. The classic cover photo from Lee Friedlander says it all really and the music would provide the blueprint for singers from Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland to Stevie Wonder. Going further in time by one year, ‘The Genius of Ray Charles’ from 1959 is a big band outing with Charles in his prime on, ‘Let the good times roll’ and ‘Deed I do’, accompanied by an all-star cast of jazz musicians and it was this fuller orchestration that Ray Charles would use throughout the 1960s and into the next decade. Charles entered the new decade in 1961 with another winner of an album, ‘The Genius sings the Blues’, with electric piano, Raelettes and orchestra all on board on a judicious selection of orginals and blues standards with ‘Early in the morning’, ‘Hard times’ and ‘The right time’ just some of the highlights. One of his very best albums without question. Finally ‘The Genius after hours’ which, although indicating a 1961 date, is actually from the same earlier session as ‘The great Ray Charles’, but is no less enthralling for all that. Classics from the great American songbook abound with ‘Ain’t misbehavin’ and ‘The man I love’ stand out here. A pity that the album, ‘Hallelujah, I love you so’ was not included to complete the set of Atlantic recordings. For jazzistas, possibly the only sides missing that would have been worthy of inclusion are ‘Soul Brothers’ and ‘Soul Metting’, both collaborations with vibist Milt Jackson and available elsewhere as a 2CD set and the country-soul sides are also generally available collectively and separately. While there is still a major gap in the Ray Charles discography with the recordings on his own Tangerine label missing on CD, this box set neatly groups together some of the essential sides and at a significantly fairer price than some of the previous weightier tomes. For anyone wishing to start off a Ray Charles collection that covers soul, blues and jazz, this is the first port of call. No extras, or additional sleeve notes.  Tim Stenhouse

The gargantuan output of Duke Ellington spanning several decades was bound to include some missing items and this box set brings together some of the sides that the Duke recorded for Frank Sinatra’s Reprise label during the 1960s when the orchestra was consolidating its reputation as well as recording some fine suite material elsewhere, notably ‘Far East Suite’ and ‘His mother called him Bill’. One surprise omission given the above, is that the now hard to find ‘Sinatra and Ellington’ collaboration album is not included here and that is a great pity since it is largely Ellington material which Sinatra did not attempt to replicate in a live setting. However, there is plenty to keep Ellingtonia fans content and one of the welcome inclusions is the ‘Jazz violin session’; between Duke and Stéphane Grapelli from 1963, that only surfaced in 1976. This is very much Grapelli as a soloist and not with string accompaniment and as such the tunes sound totally fresh as on ‘Take the ‘A’ Train’ and ‘In a sentimental mood’. Another treat in store is actually the Ellington take on the ‘Mary Poppins’ film soundtrack, which has the Ellington band in prime form, especially on ‘A spoonful of sugar’ and this really works in a jazz context just as John Coltrane reworked ‘Chim Chim Cheree’ which also features here in a big band treatment. Two albums which go hand in hand are ‘Ellington ‘65’ and ‘Ellington ‘66’. Taken together they are a bit of a mixed bunch with an eclectic selection of songs that at worst enter easy listening territory on numbers such as ‘Blowin’ in the wind’, but on the other hand more reflective treatment of pieces like ‘Danke schön’. Ideally they should have been coupled onto one CD with extra space left for other recordings. One re-issue that could certainly have been dispensed with in this collection is ‘Will big bands ever come back’, an ill-advised attempt by the Duke to recreate the swing era of other bands. Quite why anyone would have wanted to hear this is beyond this writer, but it does not fit well with the work he recorded as a whole and is an instantly forgettable part of an otherwise highly distinguished discography. it would have been far better to include ‘Afro-Bossa’ which hinted at some of the other longer suite works that Duke was involved in during the same period. Clearly some of the projects here were commercially driven, hence the short timing on many of the numbers. No extra tracks or additional notes to place the albums in a historical context.  Tim Stenhouse

From the iconic cover through to the music itself, everything about this album exudes sheer class. One of Mingus’ best ever line-ups featured Texan tenorist Booker Ervin, altoist John Handy and Shafi Hadi, trombonist Jimmy Knepper and a stellar cast of other musicians to boot. Perhaps in the pantheon of Mingus recordings, it is important to note that this was one of the first albums when a variety of self-penned compositions by the leader were aired in one concise project. These include the wonderful ‘Better ‘git it in your soul’, the original blues-inflected version of ‘Goodbye pork pie hat’ that would be covered by countless musicians (most notably a folk guitar interpretation from Bert Jansch and John Renbourn) and the immaculate ‘Fables of Fabius’ which has been covered almost as much as the previous aforementioned numbers. Mingus was clearly in reflective mood at the time and devoted a composition apiece to Jelly Roll Morton, ‘Jell Roll’, and Charlie Parker on ‘Bird calls’. There may well have been a third homage on ‘Open letter to Duke’, but critics have subsequently cast doubt as to whether the duke in question was indeed Ellington, though in terms of big band influences the former was a seminal guide and inspiration for Mingus. The extensive original liner notes are befitting of the first album that Mingus would record for Columbia. This would form part of a duo during his short-lived residency for the label comprising also ‘Mingus Dynasty’ and came after the Atlantic recording, ‘Blues and Roots’. ‘Mingus Ah Um’ is quite simply a great place to start a Mingus collection.  Tim Stenhouse

During the mid-1950s before signing for Columbia, Miles Davis cut a series of highly acclaimed recordings for Prestige and ‘Walkin’ was one of the earliest of these. The line up oscillates between two formations on either side of the vinyl. For the first Horace Silver, Percy Heath and Kenny Clarke make up the sumptuous rhythm section with Lucky Thompson on tenor and J.J. Johnson on trombone. For the second side the rhythm section is repeated, but the seldom heard alto saxophonist Dave Schalk replaces the two other reedmen. The album became famous for the extended version of the title track which would go on to be a Davis staple tune well into the 1960s and for a nice rendition of Dizzy Gillespie’s ‘Blues’ n’ boogie’. Equally of interest is Miles’ own composition ‘Solar’ which was an indication of the compositional genius that was to follow. While not quite on a par with ‘Cookin’ and ‘Relaxin’’ when Miles had truly found a solid rhythm section to play repeatedly with in live and recorded settings, ‘Walkin’ is nonetheless an album of consistently high standard and one on which Davis’ distinctive trumpet sound was well on the way to being formed. Original sleeve notes from renowned critic Ira Gitler place the album and artists featured therein in their rightful historical context.  Tim Stenhouse

Pianist Dave Stapleton has on this third album weaved an intoxcating mix of post-bop and avant garde influences into a cohesive project that combines melodic compositions and yet is challenging in equal measure. He excels on ballads such as ‘Dry white’ which illustrates the maturity of the band and has something of a mid-1960s Blue Note feel to it (the album cover itself surely is inspired by the inconic covers of the legendary label). Indeed the classical romanticism of Ravel allied with early 1970s Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett are clearly major inspirations for Stapleton while saxophonist Ben Waghorn seems to a devotee of Wayne Shorter from his Miles quintet and Blue Note tenures. In contrast, ‘Socks first’ is a piece that takes a leaf out of McCoy Tyner’s modal innovations and even hints at a Spanish influences while ‘Doc Lightyear’ takes the quintet into altogether different territory with New Orleans and even freer elements evident. Even a bop tribute on ‘Wig wag’ transforms itself part way through into something stylistically more leftfield. The extensive airing of ballads and all self-penned compositions is a refreshing change and this is certainly in general a cut above the usual session and bodes well for the future. In particular one should applaud the extent to which Dave Stapleton at times plays a supportive role to enhance the overall quintet sound. Definitely a group to watch out for.  Tim Stenhouse

On this third album from Neil Cowley and his regular trio, British influences are very much to the fore with some of Cowley’s pianistic favourites added into the mix. These include the pop/rock inspired ‘Hug the greyhound’ and the blues inflections of ‘Desert to Rabat’ that is evocative of a desert journey. Sometimes the tempo is just a little too rapid for the listener, becoming too immersed in technique rather than allowing the musicality of the trio to shine through and this can sometimes alienate the listener as on ‘Gerald’. Elsewhere the building of tension into crescendos as on the lyrical ballad ‘Radio silence’ is inspirational and hints at greater heights for the trio. There are elements of EST in the lengthy ‘Portal’ and of Brad Mehldau on the nice mid-tempo shuffle of ‘Stereoface’ while the intriguingly titled ‘French lesson’ actually has a Spanish-tinged feel akin to that created by Chick Corea. An extensive UK tour will begin in May and into
June.  Tim Stenhouse