CD Reviews

Lost Landscapes is the title of one of the last pieces composed by the Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara. It’s a violin concerto based upon reminiscences of places that were of great importance to Rautavaara’s creative journey in the mid-1950s.

In producing his sixth album under his name and his thirteenth as a leader, Harry Mitchell wanted to create an album with a unifying theme, particularly one that could convey something about our lives through music. Carl Jung’s Man and His Symbols provided him with the perfect springboard for this process.

Pianist/composer Aaron Blakey’s latest offering is a collection of original compositions, weaving in memories from New Zealand and Australia with his time spent in Japan, in a session that is a travelogue of sorts within the jazz universe.

One of Europe’s most vibrant musical cultures is that of Estonia, one of the Baltic states that gained independence after the breakup of the USSR.

This excitingly cool trio has delivered a recording that embraces and experiments with a plethora of instrument sounds, samples, textures, and grooves in a pleasingly unhurried way.

If it were possible to inhale the music of this contemporary jazz album certainly one would be transported into a state of sonic euphoria.

The trio plays with a joyful abandon that one wishes there was more of in jazz these days, harking back to the days of Wes Montgomery and Charlie Christian, when it was played for pure entertainment. But don’t be misled! Modern Ideal has its place in today’s jazz scene and its future.

An accomplished vocalist and songwriter, Rebekka Neville has created a recording evoking memories of much-loved past jazz performances by Vince Jones that have blended with memories of the enjoyment of being in natural outdoor surroundings.

Emma Pask has delivered a vocal assemblage that is truly representative of her career so far. The arrangements of mostly standards afford her a plush sonic environment, allowing her to utilise her complex scatting, the rigors of improvisation and invention that is very much her forte.

Shattered CircuitsBandcamp5 starsReviewed by Keith Pettigrew What did we all do during COVID lockdowns to maintain our sense of perspective?...