Time just sort of slips on by...

Meanwhile, back on the Edge of Jazz it's been an amazing year both for new releases, but also for me re-discovering boxes of material in the depths of my cellar as I needed more space for wine-racks! It's really difficult to mention all the albums that I've enjoyed since February, but a few current favourites are;
Parallax: Phronesis-  You might wonder what a piano trio might have to offer in 2016. Listen to this album and any doubts about the format will get blown away. Really rather more than splendid!
Crimson: Delta Saxophone Quartet - so here's another pianist, in this case Gwilym Simcock who's arranged a set of King Crimson originals for a saxophone quartet, and adds his own edge to an eclectic choice of Crimso originals, with two from my favourite album "Starless and Bible Black". Chris Caldwell will be a guest of the show when we can find a mutually agreeable date in two crowded diaries!
Unstatic: Manu Katche - a quintet format (plus guests) for an album that embraces a whole host of idiosyncratic styles. This was suggested to me by my sister, who knows about all things French. In this case even the sleeve notes, which I struggled to translate, but I do like the word "perturbants" which is used to describe the music.
Everything is beautiful: Robert Glasper - Perhaps too little Glasper (and certainly too little Miles) but a brilliant attempt to harness the music of Miles Davis and rework it in some interesting idioms. I especially like the track with Laura Mvula, but repeated playing will reveal hidden depth in all the work of a variety of artists.
Arclight: Julian Lage - I've often worried that Lage might never throw off the legacy of being a child prodigy and not develop his own style of guitar playing. Her, in a trio format, he manages that with an eclectic mix of totally self-written compositions played in a variety of tempos that makes me look forward to his next outing as well.
Connection: Empirical-  Each of the band, except drummer Shaney Forbes gets to contribute to an album from a group that have an alto sax and a vibraphone as the front line. It's an ever shifting patchwork of themes and ideas that somehow comes together in a rewarding album.

and then there's the ones that I re-discovered..

The Soothsayer: Wayne Shorter - Although it was recorded in 1965 this one didn't get released until 1979, which is difficult to explain since it's such a belting album, with several unique features. Amongst those are the sextet format, a group of buddies from a classic Miles Davis Band, a front line where James Spaulding and Freddie Hubbard (especially the former) almost, but not quite manage to steal the thunder from Shorter, and some ripping Shorter compositions that rarely appear elsewhere. Can't quite understand why I buried this in the vaults...and then there's

The thing to do: Blue Mitchell -  On a rainy April day I decided to sit down and listen to my Junior Cook and Blue Mitchell albums, then remembered this Blue Note Classic from 1964. What's so good about it is just how relaxed the two front men sound (its Junior Cook on Tenor) and just how splendid Chick Corea sounds in front of Gene Taylor and Al Foster (who calls himself Aloysius for this album!). The version of the title track is just splendid!

 Various albums; Marlena Shaw- There, just where the 2015 Hermitage is going to rest was a box of albums including a Cadet album and all five albums she recorded for Blue Note. I hadn't played any of them since the eighties and wondered how they would sound. Yeah, OK, possibly a bit more soul orientated than I'd normally play nowadays, but I had "From the depths of my soul" on auto replay sounding only as Blue Note vinyl can sound. I worked my way through them and even "Who is this bitch anyway?" which I wasn't that keen on, at the time sounds great.

I'll try to post more regularly, as there's some splendid new stuff in the offing, including, I have been promised a new Emily Saunders and a new Slowly Rolling Camera CD. There's also a couple of festivals to fit in as well. Should be a great summer.

The Blog title remains the same as the years roll on.....

2016 has started with an unusual flourish of new material. Quite often record companies seem to ignore both January and February as release months for new material, but this year has turned out to be one in which the new material has rolled in from the first day of the year.
  So far this month there have been major label albums from (Dr) Lonnie Smith, Go Go Penguin and Charles Lloyd, all of which have received a fair amount of attention in the press, but I'm going to concentrate on four releases  that probably haven't received the press attention that (I think) they deserve.

Crimson: Delta Saxophone Quartet with Gwilym Simcock.

Chris Caldwell talked about this album when he came in to promote the DSQ's gig at Exeter Phoenix in November 2015. A previous album had looked at the work of Soft Machine, but Chris was excited by the prospect of the band being joined by pianist Simcock, who also wrote arrangements for the pieces. I know King Crimson's work pretty well, having followed Robert Fripp through school and then through the various pre-Crimson bands, League of Gentlemen and Giles Giles and Fripp. Later I played in a band with David Cross who Robert recruited for one of the various incarnations of the band. I was therefore interested by what would be produced and how faithful to the chosen originals this would be. I have to say it's excellently conceived, performed and is faithful to both the spirit and the nature of what Crimson were trying to do. Chris has promised to come into the studio and talk me through the album in more depth later in the year and I really look forward to it.

Evidential: Mike Hobart Quintet.

I often wonder when new albums arrive whether they'll live up to the 'blurb' that publicists so often use to hype up the product. This album exceeds anything that I had expected, and is a  good example of how 'new' British jazz is going through such a good phase. There are no histrionics, just straight ahead playing with strong material and great arrangements. The album was produced by Derek Nash who made it onto my "albums of 2015" list, and is well worth seeking out to listen to.

New World: Vitor Pereira Quintet.

Vitor is a Finnish guitarist recording in the U.K. and this is their second album, this one on the F-ire label. Its a well written set of tunes (the reasoning behind the titles is an interesting one) with a lot of space for Pereira to spread out behind the two saxophones of Chris Williams (alto) and George Crowley on tenor.(As an aside I still play George Crowley's "Paper Universe" from 2013)> It's an interesting and well-developed album and well worth checking out..

Amorandom: Aki Rissanen.

This album has given me a lot of difficulties with predictive spelling on my Twitter account! It's a piano trio album that has continued to unfold with repeated plays, and Rissanen gives the other two members of the group space to spread out and develop ideas (you'll have to look up the names of the other members of the trio lest I misplace the attendant punctuations!). The album was produced by Rissanen, but Dave Stapleton the energetic organiser/owner/ head honcho of Edition records is "Executive Producer". It's not out until March 4th, but you can find tracks on the record labels website.

Talking of Dave Stapleton it's good to know that Slowly Rolling Camera are back in the studio recording what I hope will be a full album rather than an E.P. for release later in the year. Also good to note that Emily Sanders is back writing and recording. All I need now is  confirmation that there's going to be album from Zara McFarlane, rather than  her making guest appearances like the one on the current Snarky Puppy album.

Jade Allicia Gall:

Glad to note that Jade (@FuzzyJade on Twitter) has recording and releasing an album with a quintet which I'll be previewing on the show really soon. She's launching it with a gig at the Congrgational Church in Crediton on March 8th, and I'll follow this post with another which covers both the Album and the launch gig. Live Jazz is alive and well, and living here in South West England with some interesting tours coming up in April May. Finally, after talking to her on the show I was sorry to miss Kate Daniels gigs during February- they were well received and I'd loved to have been there, rather than in bed with 'flu!

Top ten albums of 2015 (continued!)

"Symbiosis" Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio:

One of the constantly under estimated talents on the British jazz scene, Rollins has produced a series of albums that merit attention. This 2015 selection is a terrific example of both solo-ing and a group playing together who have a complete understanding of what Rollins, as leader, is trying to do and showcases his trombone playing really well. If you get an opportunity to see this band on the road - take it!

"New Ansonia" Misha Mullov-Abbado:

Abbado is the bass player on this album, but it's a real group effort, with Tom Green counterpointing the alto sax playing of Matthew Herd. All the tracks are his own compositions except for the version of Earth Wind & Fire's "September" and they are terrific. The album was co-produced by Julian Joseph and it's difficult not to hope that a follow-up happens sooner, rather than later.

"All in" Beats and Pieces Big Band":

This 13 piece band not only managed to produce this album, but also toured with it. It's a regret that I didn't get to see them because the album is such a splendid example of just how good British Jazz is in 2015. There's a huge variety of styles on the album and Ben Cottrell who is named as 'Director' manages to allow space for a goodly amount of solo-ing, as well as some really great ensemble playing. It's out on the Efpi label, and is well worth hunting down.

"Floating Points" Elaenia:

  An album that appeared with some help from the Momentum Music Fund through the Arts Council of Great Britain. It straddles a range of what used to be called 'styles' but in the 21st century could be described as classical jazz electronica- but even that doesn't do it justice. It's this years left field choice on the list, and is largely the work of Sam Shepherd with help from a whole diversity of sources.  So no apologies for it making the top ten, it's an album that I've listened to consistently since I got it, and fits a plethora of moods.

"Strata" Ivo Neame:

If you're familiar with his existing back catalogue you'll find this an album that pushes the boundaries further out. Neame is joined by an interesting array of musicians including vibes player Jim Hart and sax player Tori Freestone. The result is a mixture of the unexpected all based on strong tunes all written by Neame himself. It's a fascinating expansion of boundaries, an indication of even more exciting work to come and is a very satisfying and enjoyable album.

So you think that's the end?

Shocked by the fact that there's not an American in sight in the top ten (John Scofield nearly made it!) I'm allowing myself an eleventh, which is actually a bit of a cheat. I have a friend called Ian who travels extensively abroad (and I mean extensively!) and is kind enough to bring me back CD's he's browsed, usually in transit lounges, but this next one I didn't get 'til this year, although it was probably released on the German 'Pirouet'  label in 2014 It's thoroughly recommended;

"Ramshackle Serenade"  Goldings, Bernstein and Stewart:

Comfort music if you like, but a trio that are so clearly at ease with each others playing that it mixes up some seamless self compositions with other tracks by artists as diverse as Horace Silver and Antonio Carlos Jobim. They all allow each other space to develop solidly constructed solo's. I have no idea whether it's readily available in this country or not, but it is worth seeking out.

That's it then! 2015 in eleven albums that have consistently blown me away, and probably bear no relation to any other top 10 albums of the year - but hey! It's my list. Enjoy!

Edge of Jazz Top Ten Albums of 2015:

These are in no particular order, but are the albums that I've enjoyed the most during 2015, and in a couple of cases that listeners have said that they really enjoyed as well. Trying to explain why I like some of the chosen ten is almost as difficult, because sometimes with music it's all in the notes....

"Skyline" Tom Green Septet:  

Difficult to think of an album that I've played more than this one (perhaps with the exception of the next one!). This album is a stunning example of what British jazz is about in 2015. Even with the difficulty and expense of keeping a seven piece on the road, Tom also played some blinding live gigs - one of which I was able to attend- and live the band surpassed the sound that they achieved on this magnificent album.

"Outsiders Insiders" Emily Saunders:

I did wonder after the long wait after "Cotton Skies" whether Emily could deliver anything that would better it. This did it in spades. Helped by an empathetic backing 'band' the album contains a series of songs that were, from my point of view, unsurpassed in 2015. Working on the assumption that the south-west might provide a somewhat better summer in 2016 than it did this year, this will be a window open-must play album for next summer- and probably until she tells me the follow up is ready to go.

"You've got to dig it to dig it, dig?" Derek Nash Acoustic Quartet:

This crept out right at the end of the year and is a wonderfully paced set of tunes that are lovingly and creatively crafted by the whole quartet to follow up their previous album "Joyriding" and actually includes "Morning Glory" from that set as a bonus track. You can hear the premise on which the tunes were created by listening to my 1st December show on the Phonic.FM Mixcloud page - and hear two of the tracks as well.

"String Theory" Partikel:

Since the series of dates that they did touring to promote the album they seem to have spent a lot of time abroad (including a visit to China). This remains a favourite, possible as a result of seeing them at my 'gig of the year' at St Lawrence's Chapel in Ashburton [venue of the year bar none!] The whole concept is a strong one, and the string quartet is both empathetic and supportive to what the band are trying to achieve.

"Fables" Girls in Airports:

This the fourth album from the Danish band was the first to have an international release. One of my younger listeners e mailed me to say "Cool-jazz for people who don't know they like jazz" It's difficult to top that description, but this meld of two saxes, a rhythm section and Mathias Holm's keyboard playing certainly has a novel and at times haunting sound.

The remaining six albums follow!!!

The Uncommon Orchestra - " A bigger show"

 I've just received my copy of Mike Westbrook's Uncommon Orchestra's new album "A bigger show live". It was recorded at the Barnfield Theatre in my home town of Exeter on 30th July 2015, and in order to fund it Mike Westbrook asked individuals and organisations to become patrons to allow the work to be recorded. The resultant double CD was recorded 'live' by Miles Ashton and Jon Hiseman, and is a pretty faithful version of the events of that night (or so I'm told!).
  Thankfully there is audience noise, but (also) thankfully it's devoid of the kind of whooping and hollerin' that seems to mar so many U.S. based live recordings. It must have been a fairly difficult event to engineer given the size of the venue and the fact that 22 piece jazz orchestras tend to take up an enormous amount of space and require careful balancing of the disparate instruments. The result is out there, and if you weren't one of the patrons I'm sure that if you get in touch with Mike at www.westbrookjazz.co.uk he'd be more than willing to sell you a copy. I'm pleased that The Edge of Jazz is a patron, and if the opportunity arises again to sponsor another 'live' album by one of our local bands the show would be happy to oblige. Indeed at the time of writing we're just setting up a series of sessions for broadcasting on Phonic.FM which we hope will capture some more of the local jazz musicians, or some of the transitory talent that floats through Exeter from time to time - this in conjunction with our friends at Sound Gallery Studios just down the corridor from us in the bowels of the Exeter Phoenix.
 Finally, I thought it was going to be a fairly easy task to choose the Top 10 albums of the year, but at the time of writing material that is begging for inclusion continues to flow in. I've already said that the show of the year for me was Partikel at St Lawrence's Chapel in Ashburton, and that against the background of the plethora of talent that was at The Love Supreme Festival, and my carefully chosen gigs from the London Jazz Festival. Strange it should have been in my own backyard!
 Next time the album list, and if you're wondering to whom it matters, the answer is "Me"!

Mid November already!

I love it that 20 miles from where I live in the centre of Exeter there are the stirrings of what could be a really exciting arts development. Ashburton is currently home to one of the most diverse musical "scenes" that you could wish to find. It already has a very small, but beautifully formed venue in St Laurence Chapel, and there a mighty attractive set of smaller events (often on a Sunday afternoon) at the lovely Royal Oak pub. However, tentative plans are afoot to buy and covert the wonderful Methodist Church that sits on the main road through the town. At the moment the plans are embryonic, but developing, and the Congregation are keen that the building should continue to be a community asset.
It really is worth putting "Ashburton live" into a search engine and finding out more (they also tweet @ashburtonlive). I think it would be really exciting if it gets funding and gets off the ground. As an aside the best gig (bar none) that I've been to this year was the Partikel gig at the Chapel.
There have been a plethora of new albums in the last month, and finding time to fit them all into the show has, at times, been problematic. I'll write a little more about some of them ahead of the annual task of trying to build a top 10 albums of the year. I'm pleased to say that I think the majority will be either British of European in origin, which either says something about the relative paucity of new U.S. Jazz musicians, which I think is unlikely- I think it must be that the major labels are abandoning anybody that doesn't fit the cloning instincts of their accountants!

Colin Towns:

It was great to talk to Colin on the show on 13th October. You'll soon be able to hear it on the Phonic FM Mixcloud page. It was good to talk not only about the new double CD "Drama", but also to ask him about John Fordham's assertion in a recent "Guardian" review suggest that "Town's other life makes him an unjustly peripheral figure in the UK jazz world- he deserves to be right in the middle of it".
  The answers were pertinent and punchy and might be a starting point for a further dialogue with some other interviewees about the state of British jazz, which in so many ways seems to be in a healthier state than for a long time. Does the reality prove otherwise, and if it does, what are the reasons?