It's been a busy summer - as well as being hot and sunny, it's the summer that I spent a lot of trying to find suitable sites for the expansion of Exedab into East Devon. Really pleased to have linked up with Sid Valley Radio and located sites that we can use when Ofcom give the go-ahead for us to start broadcasting. Unfortunately, as with most statutory bodies, they only move agonisingly slowly. The paperwork is every bit as protracted and extensive as the search for suitable sites.

In the meantime it's been a relatively sparse period for reall good new releases, and as seems to happen every year October has seen a huge upturn in what record companies are putting out there. It's also been noticeable that European Jazz in its many guises has grown in availability and 'fusion' once again seems to be a word that publicists are happy to litter theri outpourings with. So here are five more that may well make it into the end of year Top 10.

Dino Saluzzi: El Viejo Caminante.

Two guitar players and a bandoneon player recorded for ECM records. Father and Son Saluzzi are joined by Jacob Young on an album of laid back acousitc tracks that are redolent of an age in Argentina that probably never existed but evokes the  era of Peron-ist control. This description does little to explain that this is a supremely crafted album that seldom rises above walking pace but is best listened to in one session. Favorite tracks are the title track and 'Buenos Aires 1950'. Left field, but delightful.

Paul Cornish: You're exaggerating!

It's always amazing how Blue Note is able to pick up on new and rising star performers and pianist Paul Cornish, on the basis of this is just such a one. In a very crowded fields of piano led trios Cornish does have something new to add to the genre, but also allows Joshua Crumbly (Bass) and Jonathan Pinson (drums) to make it a satisfying debut. Jeff Parker plays guitar on one track, but Cornish wrote all the tunes and they all sound fresh and original. Current favourites are '5am' and 'Palindrome', the track with Parker on it.

Harold Lopez Nussa: Nueva Timba.

Not an ordinary pianist, and therefore not an ordinary album! 6 musicians and a vocalist interpret a form of Latin fusion that is hard to define. There's an awful lot of percussion, with the piano joining in as one of those percussive sounds. Writing credits are spread across a range of different sources, but the wider Lopez -Nussa family supplying about half of them. It's joyous and raucous with varied tempos. If you're familiar with his previous Blue Note album - this is louder and more percussive. A great listen!

Kokoroko: Tuff times never last.

Varying beween being an septet and an octet Kokoroko employ a number of guest vocalists on an album that possibly lacks enough changes of rhythm, but makes up for it with glorious, mainly horn driven afro-London hybrid. They're at their best live (I'm seen them twice in 2025) but a couple of tracks here are a good attempt to record what they sound like live. 'Never last' and 'Just can't wait' are the tracks, but there's a welcome spreading out across the entire album. OK, I'm biased, They're the best band I've seen this year!

Anouar Brahem: After the last sky.

Brahem is probably the go to Oud player on the music scene at the moment. Coupled with Django Bates on Piano, Dave Holland on Double Bass and Anja Lechner on cello this is jazz fusion at it's very best.The cello is a great sonorous companion to the oud and the other players fully contribute to what has been almost constantly playing  on rotation in the house during the summer. Brahem is certainly prolific at the moment he has another album being released before the end of the year.

Half Term favourites!

Here, as promised are my favourite albums (so far) from 2025. However, a special mention for the fact that this year has been an epic one for re-releases, and although I'm not about to dive into them there ought to a mention for the Blue Note (Japan)r e-release of 70+ hard to get Blue Note albums that are currently being released again on vinyl here in the UK - these are the same, but on CD - and about half the price.

I should also probably mention here, that I receive no payment from ECM records - they've just released some belting stuff this year!

JACOB BRO: TAKING TURNS.

 A wonderfully laid back album with not just Bro, but also Bill Frissell on guitar. Add in Lee Knoitz on alto sax, Jason Moran on piano, Thomas Morgan on Double Bass and Andrew Cyrille on drums and you have an amzing, if mainly very laid back album. The recording, as you'd expect from ECM is magnificent, and in fact I have't chosen favourite tracks because this is an album I've played from start to finish. Oh, OK, try 'Milford Sound'.

SULLIVAN FORTNER :SOUTHERN NIGHTS.

A trio album that is comprised of favourites and standards, apart from one Fortner written track '9 bar tune' However the way in which they are r-energised is a tribute to the trio as a whole. Tyr Cole Porter's 'I love you' or Woody Shaws 'Organ grinder' to see that all three, including Peter washington on Bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums spur each other on to extemporise on some of the others. Start by listening to theri version on Allen Toussaint's 'Southern Nights' 

JEREMY PELT: WOVEN.

This is my favourite album of the year so far! Trumpeter Pelt has ssembled a frontline with a difference with Jalen Baker on vibraphone and Misha mendelenko on guitar. Backed by a solid rythm section that at time is extended by the judicious use of synthsiser and with one vocal track from Marie-Ann Hedonia. Everybody is given space to stretch out with Pelt not always taking the led in improvisations. Pelt has been appearing on albums by several other artist recently, but this is a rather special headliner album.

ANOUR BRAHEM: AFTER THE LAST SKY.

It's an album that focuses on the Palestinian situation, without being overtly political. It fits in the edge of Jazz ethos (yes, there is one!) perfectly with Brahen on oud, and ther introduction of cellist Anja Lechner togetre with Dajongo Bates on piano and Dave Holland on double bass. The tunes are beutifully recorded (ECM again!) and it's an album that is deply contemplative yet subtly swinging. If you want a coule of tracks to listen to try 'Endless wandereing' and 'Dancing under the meteorites' A deeply satisfying album.

JULIA HULSMANN QUARTET: UNDER THE SURFACE.

Julia Hullsann is a long time EoJ favourite. This album is, in fact, played by a quintet, since Hildegun Oiseth plays trumpet (and goat horn!) on the album. The basic trio are seamless, and conrtibute most of the writing  (Hullsman six, and Muelbauer two) with sax player Kempendorff the remaining two. It may be damning with faint praise, but tis is contemplative, harmonious and what you might expect from such a well rehearsed group. However, every new album brings new nuances, and of course (itsa nother ECM album) it's beautifully recorded.

BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET: BELONGING.

Yes, it's re-recording of the album of the same name recorded by Keith Jarrett in 1972. It consists of six tracks, a couple of which are quite extended work outs. I thought this ws so goos that it drove me back to the original, but it's really true in this case that there's no point in comparing them. Marsalis brings to compositions his own ideas, and Joey Calderazzo on piano is able to contribute in a way that doesn't in any way try to ape Jarrett's version. It's wonderfully recorded (an it's on Blue Note! )and a good place to start is ''Long as you know you're living yours' 

SHAZ RAJA: SPELLBOUND.

A fusion album with guitarist Raja out front and showing his guitar playing 'chops' fronting a basic trio that are fleshed out by a range of additonal instruments including sitar and tabla, as well as some lusty sax work from Tini Kofi and Vasilis Xenopoulas.  All the tunes are written by Raja and there's a guest track with John Ehteridge on guitar. Lively and fully loaded. Starter track ought to be 'Together we fly'

June already!

 I've been meaning to update this blog since March. It now looks as though I have a week in which I have some very precious spare time. 

To say that I/We have been busy would be an undertstatement. Mostly it's been to do with the application to extend the transmission area of ExeDab - the transmission company supplying SSDAB+ for Exeter. It's been obvious for some time that there is enormous population growth in the East Devon area, and although the population is currently sparse it's growing around the A30 area in East Deon, namely Axminster, Honiton and Sidmouth, with a whole new town to be developed along the corridor opposite the'nearly new' town of Cranbook. When the area was advertised for a licence Exedab (of which Phonic is a 19% shareholder - and of which I am Chair) decided we would apply, and after much discussion created a bid, which in the end proved to be the only one. In April it was awarded to us and some decisions had to be made about coverage. We are fortunate to have been joined by Sid Valley Radio (hereafter SVR) to get the bid from award to transmission.

  The immediate problem is that coverage of the whole area would be very expensive and so it looks, at the pre-planning stage as though we're going to concentrate on providing a service for Sidmouth and Honiton with  an option to extend to other areas, as and when funding will allow. This means choosing aerial sites, getting them approved by the regulator, Ofcom, and ensuring that the internet, electricity and other power sources are available at the sites that we choose. So the hunt is on, the planning underway and the general hectic nature of life will continue.

Jazz? Later in the week I hope to take a look at the albums that have excited me the most in the first five months of 2025 - and I think it's an interesting list!

 Just to get underway and say that I've changed accounts from X (the site formerly known as twitter) to edgeofjazz.bsky.social Not done without regrets, and thanks to all those who have followed me there, but it's geting too weird for me to post there any more. All the other usual EoJ stuff will appear on the website, but I'm done with twitter!

For me, 2024 has been an interesting and diverse year of jazz. I've been bombarded with a great amount of material from far-flung parts of the world, including an enormous amount of Scandinavian sourced material. as well as Latin American material. Major label output has for me, by and large been rather dull, with only a couple of exceptions. That's why this list is full of, possible unknowns prior to 2024, and why I find the whole question of 'What is jazz?' so facinating.

5. Ezra Collective: Dance like no one's watching.

They've clearly been very creative, which in part, I suppose, why this is a double album. It's packed with tunes of various tempo's and draws on lots of contemporary themes and issues. The sleeve notes amplify the sense of direction. You can approach the album from all sorts of different ways, possibly start by listening, but, horror upon horror, I found myself dancing along to it.. It does say on the inner sleeve "Written for the dancefloor" which seems to sum it up. Joyous and uninhibited with a strong nod to its Anglo Carribbean roots.

4. Etienne Charles: Creole Orchestra.

The funding for this was American, but the album is another reworking of an American genre given a subtle Caribbean twinge. Tunes range from the almost traditional, Monty Alexander to Jimmy Forrest, but supplemented by some self compositions from Etienne Charles. It all comes together beautifully driven along by what really is a big band. Some outstanding vocals from Rene Marie. Best summed up by the sleevenotes from the producer/arranger when he writes "Wow. A big band record, A dream come true". It's really good!

3.Resolution 88: Vortex.

What I think jazz funk in the 21st century ought to sound like. They're British and I was lucky enough to get an advance copy.. Basically a quartet, but augmented by a woodwind player and a vocalist. They make great use of a polyphonic synthesiser but adhere to the original funky basis of home grown funk. All the compositions are by Tom O'Grady the keyboard player, one is an instrumental and one a vocal track. I'm hoping that there will be a follow up, but this is worth getting into if you haven't heard it.

2.Charlie Pyne Quartet: Nature is a Mother.

Charlie is the bass player in this excellent set with Katie Patterson on drums, Luke Pinkstone on Tenor Sax and Liam Dunachie of keybords. The songs are all Charlie's and it's a set of reflections on humanity, the Universe and constraints on working life. It's beautifully recorded, the song writing is strong and it's a really excellent example of where (British) jazz can go. Probably the most played album on the show so far this year, but see also my footnote below.

You'll notice that this is mainly a cut and paste job, but even after all the listening I love it. I'm hoping we might be able to fix up a date for the band in 2025.

1. Muriel Grossman: Devotion.

The first ever release on Jack White's new label this a double album set and it gives the band space to stretch out over 7 tracks. She's a sax player, but the trio of guitar, bass and Hammon organ are no mere by standers. In some ways it's redolent of some of the extended seventies jams that bands used to indulge in, but this is much more nuanced and controlled. Sometimes difficult to programme - especially as the longest track is 22 minutes long, but it's been worthwhile to play at least four of them during the year. If you haven't heard it, choose a track, sit down, listen (preferably on a big system or good earphones) and find out, if you can, why it's my number one for 2024.

Two final bits of information.

Most played track of the year:

'No confusion' by Ezra Collective from the album 'Where I'm meant to be'. It has a long way to go to catch up with the two front runners, respectively 'Idle Moments' by Grant Green and in front 'Abusey Junction' by Kokoroko.

Label of the year:

Ubuntu Music: They have released the most eclectic mix of material and most of it doesn't fall into easy categories; this suits the ethos of the edge of Jazz really well!

Worthy mention for Mack Avenue Records.

Top Ten albums 2024.

Ten to Six: 

10: Zara McFarlane: Sweet Whispers.

It's a brave performer who takes on the Sarah Vaughan Songbook.It's even braver when you add a non Sarah Vaughan track - in this case Marvin Gaye's 'Inner City Blues' and it's a seamless fit. The album shows off McFarlane's voice to its true extent, but she's never overwhelmed by a quartet of empathetic players, with added inputs on selected tracks from Giacomo Smith on reeds, a stell pan player and a cellist on two tracks. It's such a refreshing change to have vocals mixed well forward on such an uncluttered sounding album.

9: Nigel Price & Aban Claret: Entente Cordiale.

In terms of album production Nigel Price has certainly been prolific over the last few years. Mainly it's been organ and sax led ensembles, but this features two 'lead' guiar players, both at the top of thier game set in a quartet format. The programming is eclectic, from Horace Silver to Bill Evans and Ira Gershwin to Woody Shaw. The playing throughout is ..er..joyous, and it sounds as though the group had a great time recording it . Highly recommended.

8. Thokozile Collective: Thokozile Collective.

This floated in, in the middle of the year. I played a track and thought 'That's quite interesting', a sextet that seem to embrace the joy of playing together and introducing a definite township jazz feel to what they did. Over the next few weeks I played different tracks and realised just how satisfying this is. All I have to go on are the sleeve notes, which give individual details about each track, it's origins and the suggestions that they might have been playing together in some form, for a number of years. I wish I'd kept the accompanying press release!

7. Emmet Cohen: Vibe Provider.

He regularly crops up on social media sitting in with various jazz luminaries, and obviosly having a blast playing the piano with them. The styles are eclectic, but then so is this album. The trio are augmented on various tracks by sax, trumpet and trombone, but it's definitely Cohen's piano playing that is center stage. He turns 'Surrey with the fringe on top' into something that Rogers and Hammerstein might not recognise, but all the tracks are a imbued with his own trademark.

6. The Jazz Defenders: Memory in motion.

One of the best gigs I went to this year was the Jazz Defenders at our home base in The Phoenix in Exeter. The bands sound has benefitted from a change in personnel which had brought in Ian Mattews (sometime Kasabian drummer) and Jake McMurchie on Sax. Collectively they beefed up the sound of the band, with the album displaying an improved intensity on both the previous ones. A lot of the credit must go to keyboard player George Cooper - nominally frontman - whose writing has improved over the space of three albums, and has become better at banter between songs. A good record, and it'll be interesting to see what they record in 2025.

Next week: Five to one, the best label award and a couple that didn't make the list, but deserved to!

Oh dear!

2024 seems to have rushed past. Only a reminder that I was due to provide a Top 20 list of Jazz records for another publication reminded me of the neglect to this blog that I am responsible for. So with profuse apologies I'll add a few more discs that are under consideration for this years Top 10 on this blog.

Etienne Charles: Creole Orchestra.

Big band recordings are fairly rare at the moment - they're expensive to maintain and take on the road, and the larger the band the more complex the operation. This is a mixture of self composed and classsic tracks that absolutely hit home from the first listen. The arrangements, by Charles, are stunning and the tracks are interspersed with vocals, mainly from Rene Marie. My current favourite tracks are Monty Alexander's 'Thnk twice' and the Etienne Charles composition 'Douen'. Refreshingly the arrangements owe a lot to the caribbean heritage of Charles rather the often stifling efforts that are currently being offered by the major labels. Highly recommended.

Cali Mambo: Cali Mambo.

This was recommended to me by a friend who saw the band play live in Los Angeles. The leader Dred Scott seems to have been heavily influenced by George Shearing and the Latin jazz secene that existed in the late 1950's. Having worked as a band leader in Los Angeles he picked up on the repsonse that he was getting playing mambo, and together with his vibes player Tom Beckham started to include some old tunes, together with some self-written ones. This quartet album is the result of that demand. Although as a rhythm Mambo got overplayed and overworked this is a reminder that it can still delight in this new form.

Zara McFarlane: Sweet Whispers.

Sub titled as 'Celebrating Sarah Vaughan' this see McFarlane backed by a quintet that is extended on a couple of tracks to cover some of the better known tunes that Sarah Vaughan recorded - plus, and it's an interesting choice a cover of Marvin gaye's 'Inner City Blues'. What I particularly enjoy is that this is no copyist effort, but  a real attempt to get inside the songs and make them her own. The backing is empathetic and the voice is to the fore. An enjoyable outing that leads to the question 'Where next?'

Emmet Cohen: Vibe Provider.

Cohen has produced an album every bit as varied as the previous two. Starting with a basic trio, but adding saxophone, trumpet and trombone of various times he works his way through self composed material and a scattering of the unexpected. His outing on 'Surrey with the fringe on top' moves it far awayfrom Rogers and hammerstein as it's likely to ever be moved, which can also be said for 'If this isn't love'. Just to show his dexterity as a keyboard player check out 'Emmets Blues'. Vibe provider indeed!

Ezra Collective: Dance - no one's watching.

Joyous noise! Mine is a generous two album set that firmly places them in the top echelon of British jazz. This is a wondeful follow up to their  award winning prvous album. It is what it says in the title, a chance to dance. Some excellent sleeve notes explain the circumstances in which each track was created and who contributed, as well as something about their everyday ways of working. The sense of fun permeates the whole album along with their spirituality and a fusion of the sum of theri collective background. I've listened to it a lot - and even danced to it!

I'll try to add another few thoughts about albums I'm enjoying before putting together my list of favourite tracks of the year. It wont bear any relationship to the album titles I collated for that other magazine!