Category: FEATURED RELEASES
For well over a decade, Manchester composer, saxophonist, and multi-instrumentalist Nat Birchall has released some of the most standout jazz recordings, as well as some brilliant dub-infused collaborative work with producer Al Breadwinner. He has recently released an incredible new solo African-influenced spiritual jazz album titled, Ancient Africa.
For more than a decade, acclaimed London-based pianist Greg Foat has been at the forefront of some of the best groove-oriented jazz recordings for labels like Jazzman Records, Athens Of The North, and Strut. On his latest release, he teams up with two incredible Finnish musicians in bassist Teemu Åkerblom and drummer Aleksi Heinola for a superb feline-themed album on Jazzaggression, titled Gone To The Cats.
London-based keyboard wiz Joe Armon-Jones, who is also a member of the UK Afrobeat-inspired group Ezra Collective and a regular collaborator with saxophonist Nubya Garcia, follows up his two incredible breakthrough solo releases on Gilles Peterson’s Brownwood Recordings, with a superb 10-inch single Pray on his newly launch label Aquarii.
Throughout the seventies and into the early eighties, jazz-funk legend Brian Jackson collaborated with the late great Gil Scott-Heron on some of the most forward-thinking and socially conscious music of the decade, releasing tracks like “The Bottle”, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, “Johannesburg” and numerous others. For the eighth installment in the breakthrough Jazz Is Dead series, Los Angeles based producers/multi-instrumentalists Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have teamed up with Jackson for his first new album in 20 years.
One of the last year’s best albums, and a recording that really captured the emotion of 2020 well, was New York harpist Brandee Younger and bassist Dezron Douglas Force Majeure. Following this beautifully homemade session (recorded in the couple’s apartment), Younger steps out on her own to release a brilliant full-length on Impulse!, titled Somewhere Different.
Bristol-based experimental jazz collective Ishmael Ensemble, led by saxophonist and producer Pete Cunningham, return following their breakthrough 2019 debut A State of Flow, with another brilliant and expansive new album title Visions of Light.
Every year, there are always a number of unanticipated releases that seem to come out of nowhere and become future classics. That certainly was the case with the debut release from a superb trio cast of beat makers, producers, and instrumentalists known as Turbulance, whom have recently released their incredible debut on CoOperation Records.
Making the most out of the unfortunate lockdown, Glasgow-based pianist, keyboardist, and composer Josef Akin, who also plays in two excellent groups Amara and GABO, returns with an absolutely brilliant new album titled, Flightcase on London’s Sola Terra label.
Highly innovative Italian drummer, composer, and producer Tommaso Cappellato, who has recently relocated to Los Angeles, launches his new Domanda Music label with a brilliant cosmic jazz recording, titled Pioneered, featuring an impressive cast of musicians like Shahzad Ismaily, Jaimie Branch, Val Jeanty, Afrikan Sciences, Michael Blake, Yusuke Yamamoto, Donato Dozzy, and others.
In what is certainly one of the most anticipated albums of 2021, the highly talented London-based multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, vocalist and DJ, Emma-Jean Thackray returns with an incredible new full-length album titled Yellow on her own Movementt label.
