Sorry to hear this Mickey – it’s always a shock if often not a surprise in this day and age. I went though the same thing very recently and would echo much of the sage advice above. One thing I did find useful was […]

Excellent stuff – well recall watching Oscar’s show and sadly he never seems to have ever been hip in the way so many other revered jazz players of the 60s’70s have become over the years. Also remember the […]

Knew it…

Keith Jarrett – La Fenice is top 10 – Snoop can drop to the subs bench.

What a great year for new music – dare say I’ve forgotten some highlights:

The best:

Kurt Elling – The Questions
Michael Franks – The Music in My Head
Swing Out Sister – Almost Persuaded
Kamasi Washington […]

The best:

When the day is done – the orchestrations of Robert Kirby
Frank Sinatra – Sings for only the lonely
Ashford and Simpson – Love will fix it – the Warner Brothers Years
Bobbie Gentry – The girl from […]

SEEN:

Plenty to see at the Cambridge Jazz Festival which has grown into a busy fortnight affair in the last couple of years. First up was the Elliot Galvin Trio – interesting mix of straightforward piano, e […]

And this – a beautiful record – has to be this mix:

Probably this – have this somewhere on a reissue 7.

Looking for a gift for that hard-to-please avant-garde jazz lover this Christmas? Then check out the Leo Records sale of the century for all things skronking and screeching – with a huge list of CDs for just […]

…and this – more 70s-style soulful loveliness from 2018:

Quite a year for “blue eyed soul” – but this is a standout from a really classy AOR-influenced UK album. Can imagine Hall and Oates doing this:

Seen:

Tord Gustavsen at the lovely Apex in Bury St Edmunds – he’s returned to his original trio format and probably for the better, mixing his contemplative down-tempo material with sweeping ele […]

Marc Ribot’s new album is full of protest songs – including this rare new outing from Tom Waits – a version of a 1930s Italian anti-fascist song. Also features tracks by Steve Earle and Tift Merritt – and a […]

Seen:

In Amsterdam with work and wandered along to the Paradiso to see Jose James – a very good jazz singer who seemed to disappear down the RnB rabbit hole but has now returned with a Bill Withers covers a […]

Agreed re.Terence Blanchard – very underestimated and I’m sure there was a live thing on Sky Arts recently covering his film music – and “A Tale…” is one of the great film scores. Seems to be Spike Lee’s […]

Picked up a copy from the ever-excellent David’s record shop in Letchworth at the weekend. It’s a really good album – stretched out versions of stuff from his “Spark of Life” album – shame he never seems to tour in the UK.

After an enjoyable evening amongst piles of CDs looking at the small print on the back:

Marian McPartland – Twilight World
Cyrus Chestnut – Spirit
Pat Metheny – One quiet night
Terence Blanchard – A Tale of […]

Enjoying this thread. Here’s a couple more – from the days of “Thursday night at the local poly when the band on stage would outnumber the audience or their genteel soulfulness would be pitched as a support act to […]

Recently picked up Karen Carpenters posthumous solo album for pennies – never heard it before – but interesting “too slow to disco” slick 80s soulful direction. And as ever, that voice.