The music tears through Buika with such violence you cannot wrestle your eyes away from her for fear of missing the last precious moment of beauty before catastrophe strikes. Continue reading Buika at Union Chapel (Live Review)
Archive for the Reviews Category
Not one but three whopping great collections of classic albums from three titans of Brazilian music are coming out on Warner Jazz. Each multiple album pack costs about the same as a single CD.
Starting with Gilberto Gil: Refazenda, Refavela and Realce from the 1970s as well as 1984’s Raca Humana and the 2002 live recording Kaya N’Gan Daya are bundled together in simple but pleasing cardboard sleeves. These five LPs are a mere drop in the ocean of this highly prolific musical force but they are a great place to start.
The Milton Nascimento five data mainly from the 1990s and while fine, miss out on such classics as Clube da Esquina or Milton but nevertheless contain many fine tunes and Elis Regina’s tragically short career is pretty comprehensively catalogued too.
Another Fela Kuti compilation, no, wait, this is worth a look. Coming in a 2 CD version and Deluxe version with DVD, this compilation pulls in what, in my opinion, are the very best tunes of his output. And teams it up with a rare live performance (his 1984 Glastonbury set).
Meshell Ndegeocello returns with an album of songs dedicated to that rarest of souls Nina Simone.
Continue reading Meshell Ndegeocello – Pour une âme souveraine: A Dedication to Nina Simone
Flat Earth Society. Photo: Raymond de Vries
On entering the intimacy of one of London’s premier jazz venues, Vortex, it was clear to me that this was going to be a cosy gig. The place was packed out and the 15 members of Belgium’s Flat Earth Society squeezed onto the stage, filling a quarter of the room. Continue reading Flat Earth Society – Vortex, London (Live)
Robert Glasper’s new jazz infused soul album, ‘Black Radio’, a slight detour from his jazz output (albeit with a strong hip hop influence), is mostly very good. Aside from some well-worn samples of his own work, this is a welcome return for the master musician. Continue reading Black Radio – Robert Glasper
Perhaps the surprise of the year this one as George Benson release an album that isn’t a ‘Best Of’ his own hits as he covers some pop and jazz classics and it’s worth more than a casual listen!
To see him live you are in awe. Not just for memories of the first time, a tour de force of modern jazz at Pizza Express. Or the second time, a mesmeric meeting between Glasper and drummer Chris Dave at the Jazz Café. Or even the last time, a melange of nu classical soul and jazz, at Ronnie Scotts. No, Glasper in the flesh is more than the sum of his collective live performances. His tall, broad frame radiates charisma, his easy going charm relays confidence and his Southern (American) roots. Glasper inspires awe in his audience. Continue reading Robert Glasper, XOYO
If their was ever a time for a 17-member “disco orchestra”, the bleak winter of 2011 was it so the timing of Escort’s debut album couldn’t be better – old and new all mixed together to accompany you to the dancefloor – it’s time to party! Continue reading Escort – Escort
With remixes of ‘She Fish’ and ‘Right On Up (For Love)’, the Main Stem are big at Lip Service so it’s no surprise that after the Contortion Danse 12″ of a couple of months ago we get an album that finds thier Electric Church is having a post disco nu-house soft rock revival! Continue reading The Main Stem – Electric Church
For those of you in the Bay Area, you’ll know that the will know all about the Yerba Buena Discos team, if only from their huge 20th release by Homero Espinosa featuring Allegra Bandy – and now they are back with some equally fine soulful deep house to enjoy! Continue reading Homero Espinosa ft. Allegra Bandy – Then You Smiled
Floridita has revived its live music policy and kicked it off with Cuban maestro Chucho Valdes. Diners get the views but giggers get the moves and the ambiance along the edges of this restaurant-based venue in bustling Soho. Continue reading Chucho Valdes – Floridita, London (Live)
At five tracks ’5ive’, the second in a set of releases from the West London-based Jazz Re:freshed promoters/label, is woefully short but it is a timely reminder of the sheer talent of Mr Kaidi Tatham. Continue reading 5ive – Kaidi Tatham (Jazz Re:freshed)
We’ve been dreaming of a new album by Sabrina Malheiros on Far Out Recordings and here it is and it’s very wide awake!
Continue reading Sabrina Malherios – Dreaming
