Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2026 i Jazzwise

Ezra Collective, Samara Joy and Esperanza Spalding headline Love Supreme 2026 The Love Supreme Jazz Festival is set to return this summer for what promises to be its biggest edition yet, featuring three full nights of music on the main stage. The event, held at Glynde Place in East Sussex, will run from Friday 3 July through to Sunday 5 July – the first time the festival will present a full day of main stage music on all three days. Initial headliners announced include the Mercury Prize’s first-ever jazz winners, Ezra Collective, who then went on to win a BRIT Award for Group of the Year (both in 2025); with their high-intensity mix of latin-jazz, Afrobeat, and funk, they also delivered high energy performances last year at Wembley Arena and…

The buzz of anticipation is building for jazzahead!, as organisers unveil 38 showcase concerts set to take place from 23 to 25 April 2026 in Bremen, Germany. The programme will spotlight artists from over 20 countries, performing for thousands of industry delegates and the public attending the international trade fair. Competition for the eight German showcase slots reached record levels, with 175 band applications submitted – an 82 percent increase on the previous year. Across the full event, 821 acts from 43 countries applied to play, reflecting a 35 percent rise overall. Jazz selectors were faced with an unprecedented surge of interest, underscoring the growing importance of live performance in a market where touring, discovery and festival bookings now outweigh traditional album/gigging release cycles. Two leading lights of the UK…

Rahsaan Roland Kirk played Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club four times during his lifetime. The first in 1963, pictured in John 'Hoppy' Hopkins photo on page 23 and christened by the above track from his Live In Copenhagen album; the second in October 1966; the third time in March 1969 and the final show at the club in April 1972, before he departed to planet Rahsaan in 1977. It’s the 1969 dates however that grab our attention here. In the International section of Melody Maker’s 'Jazz Poll '69' awards in the 1 March issue, Kirk not only trousered the Number One flute award and the top spot in the Miscellaneous Instrument Award for manzello and stritch but also bagged both categories in the Critics Poll section too. The manzello and stritch…

Guitarist Julian Lage has announced the release of Scenes from Above, his fifth album for Blue Note, due out on 23 January. The project marks his second collaboration with producer Joe Henry and introduces a new quartet featuring keyboardist John Medeski, bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Kenny Wollesen. While Lage’s 2024 Speak to Me album showcased him as a bandleader steering a broad ensemble of guest collaborators, the new album shifts focus to collective interplay. Its nine tracks capture the quartet working in real time, each musician contributing equally to a set of pieces written with the group’s chemistry in mind. Lage describes this approach as “egalitarian”, emphasising "personal and musical growth rather than hierarchy". The compositions emerged from what Lage calls a “writing sprint” ahead of a residency at…

Let The Spirit Out, Live at “mu” London Spiritmuse (CD, 2 LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Kahil El’Zabar (perc, kalimba, v), Corey Wilkes (t), Alex Harding (bs) and Ishmael Ali (clo). Rec. 15 and 16 July 2024 Although Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble has in the past decade made a string of excellent studio recordings for British label Spiritmuse, the Chicago group has arguably made its biggest impact on stage. Memorable gigs, none more so than the Barbican as part of the 2023 London jazz festival, have consolidated EHE’s fanbase in the UK and this captivating session from “mu”, largely shows why. Although all members of the group are accomplished instrumentalists, they have such an advanced feeling for, and respect of, space and silence that there are times when there is…

Black Swan Self-release/Bandcamp (LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Robin Mullarkey (el b), Dave Okumu (g), Graeme Blevins (ts, f, b cl), Tom Cawley (p, el p, syn), Richard Spaven (d), Will Fry (perc) plus Eska (v). Rec. October 2024 Bassist Robin Mullarkey has a habit of popping up in high-quality musical situations – not least with the forever-touring Jacob Collier – while he’s also known for his artful broken-beat project Brotherly, with keyboardist Anna Stubbs. Yet, being the musical chameleon he is, it’s no surprise that Mullarkey’s solo debut draws together an A-list cast of similarly affable shapeshifters. The project’s genesis is also steeped in jazz lore: the title inspired by the Wayne Shorter song of the same name (which closes this set). The band was originally convened for a couple…

The Rule of Three Whirlwind Recordings WR4847CD/LP (CD, LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Riley Stone-Lornegan (ts), Eddie Myer (b) and Spike Wells (d). Rec. date not stated There’s an awful lot to admire in QOW Trio, a multi-generational UK ensemble featuring three musicians at the top of their respective games; their live performances particularly, bristling with energy, attack and that most underrated of qualities, fun, are rightly lauded. If there’s a (slight) criticism to be made of their recorded output, it’s that they’ve never quite been able to distil that in-concert lightning into the studio bottle. However, with their third album The Rule Of Three, it’s clear that they’ve succeeded in pulling off something special. Building on the foundations laid by their two previous collections, this time Messers Stone-Lornegan, Myer and…

Stories of Life Sony Masterworks 19802931542 (CD, LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Bernhard Schüler (p), Omar Rodriguez Calvo (b) and Tobias Schulte (d). Rec. 9-12 February 2025 You’re almost guaranteed to love this album. A gentle trio with the piano in the forefront (a couple of numbers have the melody stated by the bass) and a style that could, perhaps, be called impressionist. The strong lead, often improvising on alternating chords, puts one in mind of a number of melodic jazz pianists. There’s a hint of the classical, too, if it weren’t for the jazz rhythms and inflections, interspersed as it is with distant echoes of Michael Nyman’s music for the 1993 hit movie The Piano. A great deal of skill has gone into the overall production of what is, like…

Vibrations In The Village: Live At The Village Gate Resonance HCD/LP-2081 (CD, LP, DL) Rahsaan Roland Kirk (ts, stritch, manzello, f, v, whistle, etc), Horace Parlan, Jane Getz, Melvin Rhyne (p) Henry Grimes (b) and Sonny Brown (d). Rec. 26-27 November 1963 Seek And Listen: Live At The Penthouse Resonance HCD/LP-2080 (2 CD, 2LP, DL) Rahsaan Roland Kirk (ts, stritch, manzello, f, v, siren, whistle, etc), Rahn Burton (p), Steve Novosel (b) and Jimmy Hopps (d). Rec. 8 and 15 September 1967 Although numerous studio releases, notably forAtlantic, made Rahsaan Roland Kirk a force to be reckoned with in jazz, his live albums consolidated his iconic status. The blend of passion and invention in his performances, as a recently issued Bremen concert underlined, made him a force to be reckoned…

London’s Royal Academy of Music (RAM) Jazz Department has announced a series of concerts for February and March 2026, highlighting new collaborations, premieres and guest appearances from leading figures on the UK and international jazz scenes. On Wednesday 4 February at 7.30pm, the RAM Jazz Orchestra will perform new arrangements by Trinidad and Tobago musician Leon Foster Thomas. Known for his virtuoso steel pan playing, Foster Thomas combines Caribbean traditions with jazz harmony and improvisation. The concert will include premieres of expanded versions of his earlier works, informed by his research into Anglophone and Francophone Caribbean jazz. The Royal Academy Jazz Festival follows, from 11 to 12 February, marking its 12th year. The festival has become a key part of the academic calendar, offering students the chance to work closely…

It’s always tricky writing something vaguely coherent this early in the year – not this time, thanks to a hangover! It’s more to do with the fact that so much remains unknown at this stage of the year – geopolitically, economically as well as musically and culturally… But what is clear, is that two seismic anniversaries loom: the centenaries of Miles Davis in May and John Coltrane in September. We’ll be marking those milestones, alongside coverage of the biggest live jazz festivals, new and archival releases, and other significant jazz events, as well as giving you stories you've probably not heard before. If there’s a theme to this issue, it’s that jazz’s central visionary figures remain hugely inspiring – not least our cover star, the extraordinary Rahsaan Roland Kirk, with…

NAME: CHRIST-STÉPHANE BOIZI INSTRUMENT: TROMBONE EXPERIENCE AND INFLUENCES: Trombonist Christ-Stéphane Boizi began his musical journey at secondary school when he was 11, and has since emerged as a compelling new voice on the UK jazz scene. He has performed and recorded with a wide range of artists including Oreglo, Ruben Fox, Amy Gadiaga, Mark Kavuma and the Banger Factory, and the Nu Civilisation Orchestra. Currently he can be seen playing with the Emily Tran Quintet and his own Christ-Stéphane Boizi Sextet, a project that showcases both his writing and distinctive trombone sound. With his debut album due for release this autumn, 2026 is shaping up to be a breakthrough year. THIS FUTURE MOVER SAYS: "Through this music I have been given community, friendships and a way to make people feel…

Mina Agossi Dynamic Alchimie Records ARCD10 (CD, DL) Mina Agossi (v), Eric Jacot (b), Marc Charriere (sound design, ky), Jeremy Bruyere (org), Athanase Obed (t, bugle), Alexie Aigui, Florin Niculescu (vln), Romain Da Costa (cga, perc), Manolo Badrena and Jozz Aidama (perc). Rec. 2025 If Dinah Washington’s vocal style was defined by her conversational, sometimes-whispered, speech like phrasing, precise articulation and expressive use of vibrato, then it’s little wonder maverick vocal stylist Agossi has dived head-first into the Dinah songbook for this adventurous project. Deconstructing the material – which of course hops happily from jazz to blues, pop to chanson – Agossi’s accompanists take an almost Tom Waits-ian approach, replacing the often-lush orchestral backings favoured by Washington with a raw, acoustic aesthetic. By contrast the electronicflourishes of her previous album,…

Robert Mitchell Little Black Book Blueprint (Of an Infinite Gift) Whirlwind Recordings WR 4842CD/LP (CD, LP, DL) Robert Mitchell (p, keytar, ky, v), Zayn Mohammed (g) and Laurie Lowe (d). Rec. January 6-8 January 2025 Mitchell is a restless spirit musically and metaphysically, diverse in his projects, but unified in his vision that music is a power for change. The keys man describes Little Black Book as born from gigging with the diverse talents of Mohammed and Lowe and becoming “quickly aware of a wonderful musical connection”. With Mohammed’s stirring McLaughlin/Hendrix stylings to the fore it’s too easy to lump Blueprint… into a ‘Fusion’ bagging area. The opening ‘Be the Change’ with its heritage-feel synths and electronic keys reinforces the vibe. But as ever Mitchell’s perspective is multi-layered. He sees…

Where In The World Fresh Sound Records FS719 (CD, LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Tom Ollendorff (g), Aaron Parks (p), Conor Chaplin (b) and James Maddren (d). Rec. date not stated Listeners who discovered the remarkable talents of guitarist Tom Ollendorff through his extremely intense collaborations with NYC polyrhythmic master drummer Ari Hoenig may be surprised by the results of this new pairing with another highprofile Big Apple player, pianist Aaron Parks. Parks is known for his proggy jazz-rock Little Big project, so you might expect sparks to fly from the outset, but instead the mood set by ‘Past Lives’, the title track, and ‘Three Bridges’ (named, one assumes, after the popular commuter station between Haywards Heath and Gatwick Airport) is restrained, deeply melodic and prettily pastoral in the vein of…

Collective Imagry SF Jazz/Bandcamp (DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Michael Rodriguez (t, flhn), Chris Potter (ts, ss, bcl), David Sanchez (ts, cga), Warren Wolf (vb, mba), Edward Simon (p, el p), Matt Brewer (b, g), Kendrick Scott (d) and Cava Menzies (v). Rec. date not stated For 20 years, San Francisco’s SFJAZZ Collective delivered an annual concoction of original material and fresh arrangements ofworks by a recognised jazz master. Although the band’s personnel changed regularly and the range of covers was broad, a three-horn front line coupled with the metallic sheen of a vibraphone delivered a singular and readily identifiable sound. And with time to rehearse followed by time on the road, the tricky arrangements the Collective delivered on their annual recordings never lost emotional intent. The heavyweights on this year’s release…

Gordon Beck Pay Now, Live Later: Live at the Bass Clef ’85 Jazz In Britain JIB-75-S-CD (CD, DL) Gordon Beck (p), Ray Warleigh (as, f), Iain Ballamy (ts, ss), Dave Green (b) and Spike Wells (d). Rec. 29 September 1985 Preceded by two excellent collections of previously unissued tracks, Progress (1973-4 material) and Jubilation (1964-84 recordings), Pay Now, Live Later, recorded in 1985, adds a further year to the documentation of Gordon Beck’s career away from his official album releases. While the liner note annotator almost succeeds in damning Beck the person on account of his negative personality traits, ultimately, it’s Beck the musician and his music that actually matters, and is what this release is about. It’s not that he was playing his own originals because, “there would have…

Plus 4 Prestige/OJC/Craft Recordings CR00870 (LP, DL) Sonny Rollins (ts), Clifford Brown (t), Richie Powell (p), George Morrow (b) and Max Roach (d). Rec: 22 March 1956 Trumpeter Clifford Brown had a profound effect on Sonny Rollins’ life. When I first interviewed the saxophonist in 1992, the PR person handling things asked me not to mention Brown. But Rollins did, and spoke of him with a mixture of awe and love. Brown was everything Rollins wanted to be–free from drugs, not much interested in alcohol, a non-smoker, a musician of enormous talent with a highly personable and agreeable personality. Slated to join the Miles Davis Quintet, Rollins abruptly left New York for Chicago in 1955 to cure himself of addiction. When Max Roach caught up with Rollins in Chicago he…

BBC RADIO 2 88-91 FM and DAB Jamie Cullum show (Tues, 9pm) BBC RADIO 3 90-93 FM and DAB 'Round Midnight (Mon-Fri 11.30pm) Jazz Record Requests (Sun, 4pm) BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC DAB Gilles Peterson, Sat 3pm JAZZ FM DAB, Sky, Alexa, smartphone, tablet and online at jazzfm.com (Mon – Fri) 6.30am-10am Jazz FM Breakfast with Nigel Williams, 10am-2pm Danielle Perry, 2pm-6pm Afternoon drive with Simon Phillips, 6pm-7pm Jazz FM’s Greatest, 7pm-9pm Jazz FM’s Dinner Jazz with Mark Walker. (Mon) 9pm-10pm Future Jazz with Ruth Fisher; 10pm mid night Late Nite with China Moses. (Tues) 9pm-10pm Jazz Travels with Rouhangeze Baichoo; 10pm-midnight Late Night with China Moses. (Wed) 9pm-10pm Jazztronic with Dom Servini; 10pm mid night Late Night with China Moses. (Thur) 9pm-10pm The British Jazz Show with Helen Mayhew;…

A Knight to remember It was good to read Kevin Whitlock’s feature on Sir George Shearing in Jazzwise 313, and his interview with George’s great nephew Carl Gorham. However, I can offer a few answers to the question posed in the piece: “What can be done to ensure that the Battersea boy’s music and story can be heard?” Firstly, George and I worked for some years on his autobiography, Lullaby of Birdland, which came out in 2005, and it is still in print as a paperback from Bloomsbury. It’s George’s story in his own words, and gives insights into most periods of his life and work. At the same time, Concord Records brought out a 2CD set (under the same title) which contain George’s pick of the 25 tracks he…

Frank Alkyer, DownBeat “Don’t blink on this massively imaginative, soulful and driven multi-reediest. Isaiah Collier comes straight out of Chicago grit, AACM adventurism and he’s got that “Sonny Rollins effect” of being able to play chorus after chorus of imaginative soli without repeating a single idea. For a taste, check out his latest release latest EP, Live in the Listening Room available through The Vinyl Factory. A set of duets with drummer Tim Regis, it bursts with great ideas and even better music. Around 2022, bass legend Stanley Clark put out a call… Who was the baddest young drummer in the land? He then hired Jeremiah Collier. The younger brother of Isaiah, the 26-year-old Jeremiah has been killin’ in that band since. Like Isaiah, he’s a whirling ball of energy…

あなたに出会うまで / Until I Met You Loveland Music LLM027 (CD, LP, DL) Jakob Bro (g) and Midori Takada (p, perc, mba). Rec. 8-10 October 2024 Jakob Bro, Wadada Leo Smith & Marcus Gilmore Murasaki Loveland Music LLM028 (CD, LP, DL) Jakob Bro (g), Wadada Leo Smith (t) and Marcus Gilmore (d). Rec. 11 January 2025 Loveland Music, launched last year, is an enterprising independent label based in Copenhagen. Its publicity blurb states that the imprint is “dedicated to imaginative collaborations across the jazz, ambient, and experimental music landscapes”, and for once, the marketing puff seems right (as an added bonus for those who care about these things, the label’s releases have a strong and distinctive visual identity, thanks to a collaboration with the contemporary painter Tal R, who provides artwork…

Box of Tricks Whirlwind Recordings WR 4839CD/LP (CD, LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Gareth Lockrane (f, af, bf, picc), Tom Walsh, James Davison, Steve Fishwick, Henry Collins (t, flhn), Mark Nightingale, Trevor Mires, Olli Martin (tb), Barry Clements (btb), Sam Mayne (as, cl), Mike Chillingworth (as, ss, cl), Graeme Blevins, Nadim Teimoori (ts, f), Tom Smith (bs, bcl), Ross Stanley (p, org, el p), Mike Outram (g), Pat Levett (chromatic hca), Ryan Trebilcock (b), Ian Thomas (d), Hugh Wilkinson (perc) and Nick Smart (cond). Rec. 16 May 2023 This is how you blow away those mid-winter blues – with a brass-brimmed big band in hedonistic full flow. Lockrane hasn’t just written and arranged a bumper load of high energy material, he’s maintained and nourished, against all financial odds, a splendidly cross…

VOYA Clap Your Hands/Bandcamp (DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Tineke Postma (as, ss), David Dorůžka (g), Robert Landfermann (b), Tristan Renfrow (d), with guest Theo Bleckmann (v). Rec. 2025 From the pulsating sax, voice and guitar unisons that open ‘Unity and Four Reasons for Hope,’ this is music that spells accomplishment, originality and poise. Even as far back as 2010-11, when I first saw Tineke Postma live, she made the kind of impression you do not forget. Here was a player whose ceiling was high, post-bop to be sure, but musicians evolve and on the couple of times I saw her subsequently, she was doing just that. Her reputation has grown in Europe to the extent she is in demand across the Schengen Area. Deservedly so. Here, with guest Theo Bleckmann, whose…

Bop Contest Miles High Records MHR 8638 (CD, LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Mark Sherman (vb), Donald Vega (p), Ron Carter (b), Carl Allen (d) with guest Joe Magnarelli (t). Rec. 29 February 2025 A jazz recording does not have to be a candidate for immortality, among the best of the best, million-selling, or flavour of the month, to be worthy of four stars. It can also be a very solid session with extremely good musicians who click in the studio in terms of inspiration, group cohesion and quality playing to produce jazz that is, as it is colloquially known, 'in the pocket'. The solos are in line with the leader’s direction of travel and lend unity of purpose to the music at hand. One reason why this album works so…

Classic Decca Recordings Of Bob Crosby & His Orchestra And Bob Cats 1936-42) Mosaic MD6-283 (6 CD) Bob Crosby Orchestra, collective personnel: Yank Lawson, Phil Hart, Zeke Zarchy, Andy Ferretti, Billy Butterfield, Charlie Spivak, Sterling Bose, Bill Graham, Shorty Sherock, Max Herman, Bob Peck, Muggsy Spanier, Al King, Bob Goodrich, Lyman Vunk (t), Ward Silloway, Artie Foster, Mark Bennett, Warren Smith, Jim Emert, Ray Coniff, Floyd O’Brien, Elmer Smithers, Buddy Morrow, Pete Carpenter, Bruce Squires (tb), Gil Rodin (as, ts), Noni Bernardi, Joe Kearns, Ted Klein (as), Matty Matlock, Irving Fazola, Bill Stegmeyer, George Koenig, Hank D’Amico, Arthur Rando, Art Mendelsohn (as, cl), Eddie Miller (ts), Dean Kincaide (ts, art), Gil Bowers, Bob Zurke, Floyd Bean, Joe Sullivan, Jess Stacy (p), Nappy Lamare (g), Bob Haggart, John Gilliland (b), Ray…

The Photography of Herman Leonard Edited by David Houston and Jenny Bagert Scala Arts Publishers HB £50 In drawing attention to this welcome re-appearance, I’m tempted to refer the potential purchaser (jury?) to ‘my previous evidence, m’lud’; for Scala’s 2006 first edition was reviewed at some length under its original title of Jazz, Giants, and Journeys: The Photography of Herman Leonard way back in our March 2007 issue (Jazzwise 106). So for those unfortunates who are not privy to that original assessment, allow me to point out the differences between the two editions. The volume’s title is now simplified as shown above; second, where it initially had a photographic dust cover, the new version does not. Originally Buckram-bound, it now has a solid board binding and the end papers are…

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The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World is an exclusive 100-page definitive guide to the most important and influential jazz albums that have gone on to change and shape the course of the music from the 1920s to the present day. ■ Print-only, premium quality, publication edited and conceived by Jazzwise’s editor-in-chief Jon Newey ■ The first time a fully annotated top 100 jazz album countdown from 100 to No.1 has been published in book form ■ Includes new in-depth editorial on each album from Jazzwise’s acclaimed team of writers, plus in-depth features on the making of the top three albums, a look at the albums that almost made the cut and a guide to buying the featured titles on LP and CD “This superbly written assemblage is an engrossing…