Anna B Savage has moved on considerably since last seen at Cafe Oto in June 2015, supporting Jenny Hval. That memorable solo acoustic performance made an impact with the powerful, reverberating quality of her voice and the incision of her [...]
Spanish trumpeter/vocalist Andrea Motis, a star of the European jazz scene, wrote one of the early pieces in Nicky Schrire’s Mothers in Jazz/ Parents in Jazz series in February 2023. Two years on, she reflects further on the themes of [...]
What a pleasure to hear and see this band of top-class musicians so obviously enjoying themselves, playing the music they love with colleagues whom they so clearly respect and want to play with! This was so much more than a [...]
UPDATE 21 Feb: This good news from the organisers of Jazz at the Parakeet: Quoting from their re-named Instagram page: “HI EVERYONE! Since receiving the message from the Parakeet that we couldn’t continue after the end of February, we’ve been [...]
“A Year in the Life celebrates the joy of making music in London, with each track telling a distinct story”, according to the press release for the album. And for its composer and arranger Tom Smith, “…the band sounds like [...]
Anyone who knows Norwegian saxophonist Marius Neset for his jazz-classical crossovers is in for a surprise with Cabaret – a joyous, often boisterous album that sounds deeply inspired by eighties fusion music such as Weather Report and Michael Brecker-era Steps [...]
Drummer and bandleader Matt Skelton has put together a new programme for quintet, in celebration of the work of drumming legend Shelly Manne, and of the five volumes of ‘At the Blackhawk’ records that are – Matt says “the centrepiece [...]
David West, who set up the petition for the Blue Note London club to be granted a licence, briefly closed it. but it is now open again as : “Approve The Blue Note London Late License” David has written an [...]
Piano/vocal powerhouse Philippa Healey is bringing her high energy, funk-as-hell original music to London this March. With a stellar line-up of musicians, including legendary bassist Paul Turner and drummer Derrick McKenzie, these shows are a must see! Philippa has had [...]
I am very excited to announce that the Elaine Delmar Quintet is performing for our Herne Bay Jazz Festival 2025 benefit concert in partnership with The Kings Hall, in Herne Bay, Kent, on Friday 28th February 2025. Following her sold-out [...]
Compiled by Colin Harper and Jon Harrington, with an introductory essay by Duncan Heining and notes on the selections by Lois Wilson, this 3 CD, 48 track compendium of British (well, mainly English) jazz and jazz-rock is – as collections [...]
The following is jazz journalist Morgan Enos’s interview with pianist, composer, arranger, and educator Caili O’Doherty. Her new album, Bluer Than Blue, out 7 March via Outside In Music, celebrates the legacy of pianist, composer, and arranger Lil Hardin Armstrong. [...]
Dann Zinn is a Bay Area-based tenor saxophonist and educator. He has worked with the likes of Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Terri Lyne Carrington, Peter Erskine, Taylor Eigsti, Allison Miller, and Derrick Hodge. As a leader, he has recorded six [...]
It’s easy to get angry about the state of music and its fascination with bandleaders over bands, backstories over music, pictures over sound. People like Marshall Allen (is there anyone else like him?) should keep us all hopeful. Making his [...]
Rachael Cohen’s alto sax playing just gets better and better. How can it be that she hasn’t recorded an album in her own name since 2012? On Friday evening she called a very slow ballad tempo for “Tea for Two” [...]
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “Grassroots venues are the lifeblood of London’s music scene, providing a platform for up-and-coming artists and giving audiences an opportunity to enjoy music in intimate spaces. The world-renowned Blue Note Jazz club [...]
On 23 April 2025, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox will begin their shows at the Royal Albert Hall. Mike Southon tells the story of ‘how a regular guy from New Jersey turned 1.2Bn hits on YouTube into a globetrotting musical phenomenon‘: [...]
Jazz North have been in touch to tell us about the five “genre-bending, northern-flag-sailing jazz artists” who will form the next cohort for Northern Line – “the live talent development programme for jazz across the North.” The artists, announced today, [...]
Very sad news to report: the death a couple of days ago of the great drummer and bandleader Tony Kinsey at the age of 97. John Bungey wrote a preview for UKJN of the celebratory evening which Way Out West [...]
This was a marathon. A remarkable marathon. As the lights dimmed, percussionist Tyshawn Sorey led out his illustrious trio partners, pianist Aaron Diehl and bassist Harish Raghavan, and set out his terms of engagement. ‘It’s gonna be a long set,’ [...]
The last time LJN/UKJN covered Sambroso Sambroso was – and I am ashamed to admit it – in 2017 when he hosted the closing party at The Forge in Delancey Street, Camden (LINK BELOW). Dan Bergsagel summed up the tone [...]
Barry Guy: Over the last few years the improvised music community has witnessed the passing of so many important players. Now another one has sadly left us – Howard Riley. Countless years ago this wonderful creative pianist gave me the [...]
Swanage Jazz Festival, “the oldest and probably the largest pure Jazz Festival on the South Coast of England”, has made its first 2025 programme announcement. This 34th festival takes place over three days, from Friday 11 July – Sunday 13 [...]
“A musical love letter and tribute to the masters of jazz I had the chance to study and work with…” Helen Sung, acclaimed jazz pianist and composer, and a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow, looks forward to joining Guildhall Big Band on [...]
The subject of this welcome biography, of course, would tell us that a book about him would interest scarcely anyone, and that his playing left much to be desired, although he might have written one or two worthwhile compositions. Kenny [...]
The following is jazz journalist Morgan Enos’s interview with two-time Grammy-winning Louis Armstrong historian, author, and archivist Ricky Riccardi. His latest book, Stomp Off, Let’s Go: The Early Years of Louis Armstrong – the third in a trilogy about the [...]
The Jazz FM Awards are back for 2025. The most recent set was in 2022 (winners below). The 2025 Awards will be held at KOKO in Camden Town on 24 April 2025, which is also the opening night of the [...]
We are sad to hear from Cath Longbottom (*) that the influential, liked and admired pianist and educator Howard Riley died on Saturday, just a few days before what would have been his 82nd birthday. Howard had suffered from Parkinson’s, [...]
Ellie Dattani is the singer and band leader of the Birmingham-based all-women jazz band ‘Calypso Moon’. Calypso Moon plays traditional jazz and swing music, with a particular focus on The Great American Songbook. Ellie takes her inspiration from Ella Fitzgerald, [...]
Glasgow-based saxophonist Brian Molley has forged strong links with India. His quartet’s previous album, Intercontinental, released in 2022, was a collaboration with percussionist Krishna Kishor, who recorded his contributions remotely in Chennai due to the covid epidemic. This latest release [...]
First, a disclaimer: It’s impossible for me to talk about Jim Mullen without being entirely subjective. He’s quite simply been my favourite guitarist and a hero of mine for 40 years. When I was about 18 I went to see [...]
The Modern Jazz and Folk Ensemble’s bandleader and arranger Sean Khan spoke to UK Jazz News about the ensemble’s unique mix of folk music and jazz, the involvement of folk legends Dave Pegg and Jacqui McShee, and the programme he’s [...]
