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!