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Jazz CD reviews

New CDs reviewed by Chris Parker

For the full review click on the CD title.

Geoff Simkins Trio Conversation

In his wryly amusing liner notes to this album, alto player Geoff Simkins claims (justifiably, on the evidence provided by the resultant recording) to feel most at ease in small groups, regarding a sextet as ‘a dangerously large crowd’. His modus operandi here was to ‘select a dozen or so tunes that would be interesting and challenging’ and hope that the music would come out sounding as ‘spontaneous as possible’.

Inner Space Music Five Animal Dances

Inner Space Music comprises leader/composer, Loz Speyer (trumpet, flugelhorn), Chris Biscoe (alto saxophone, clarinet), bassist Julie Walkington and drummer Seb Rochford, and on this ten-track album, recorded in November 2004, the band occupies musical territory that will be familiar to anyone who’s heard early-1960s Ornette Coleman or (closer to home) the cruelly underrated Buckley-Batchelor band.

Lee Gibson Here's to Love

This is singer Lee Gibson's third Spotlite recording, and it features her supremely jazz-literate but attractively intimate voice on a carefully selected set of standards and jazz classics (plus Sting's 'Every Little Thing' a surprise choice, but one that works well) on the theme of love.

Ben Webster/Stan Tracey Soho Nights Vol 1

Playing what fellow tenorman Simon Spillett's excellent sleeve notes refer to as 'a typical autumnal Ben Webster set', the great saxophonist is joined by Stan Tracey (piano), Dave Green (bass) and Tony Crombie (drums) for this January 1968 recording, taken from two sets played at Ronnie Scott's, where Tracey was house pianist.

Mike and Kate Westbrook London Bridge is Broken Down

Reissued, digitally remastered, this 'Composition for Voice, Jazz Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra' is discussed in detail by its creators, Mike and Kate Westbrook, elsewhere on this site; suffice it to say here that, after twenty years, it still moves, exhilarates and provokes thought as profoundly as it did on its first appearance in a then divided, turbulent Europe, a continent whose internal quarrelling is now mercifully restricted mainly to spats about the fine details of abstruse EU treaties.

Andrea Pozza Trio Love Walked In

Those who've heard UK-based tenor player Renato D'Aiello's recent quartet recording Sintetico (33Jazz see elsewhere in this section) will already be familiar with pianist Andrea Pozza and bassist Nicola Muresu, and the drummer on this album, Shaney Forbes, is best known for his playing with Empirical.

Finn Peters Butterflies

Quite a buzz or, perhaps more appropriately, a flutter has been building up concerning the follow-up to Finn Peters's deservedly acclaimed debut recording Su-Ling (Babel, 2006), and judged by the results, it's been justified: Butterflies is just as wide-ranging, imaginative and adventurous as its distinguished predecessor, but perhaps more homogeneous, particularly as regards overall mood and pace.

The Quartet Shattering

With just guitarist/composer Jack Hues and keyboardist/composer Sam Bailey still present from The-Quartet's debut CD (Illuminated, Helium HeCD001), and with bassist Tom Mason and drummer Dave Smith replacing Rutledge Turnlund and Michael Porter respectively, occasionally augmented by saxophonist Paul Booth and trumpeter Duncan MacKay, Shattering represents a slight change of emphasis for the band.

Alec Dankworth Spanish Accents

As its title suggests, this album takes its inspiration from jazz's 'Spanish tinge', deploying various combinations of bassist/composer Alec Dankworth, guitarist Phil Robson, saxophonist Julian Argüelles, violinist Chris Garrick, bagpiper Jean-Pierre Rasle and Barcelona-based drummer Marc Miralta (plus singers Emily Dankworth and Cleo Laine)...

Blink Blink

Blink are a trio comprised of saxophonist/clarinettist Robin Fincker, pianist Alcyona Mick and drummer Paul Clarvis, and they operate in an increasingly well-populated musical area: semi-free jazz. In their own words, they allow 'the music to unfold of its own accord. Many of the written forms and melodies are followed or preceded by completely free exploration of harmony and texture.'

Steve Howe The Haunted Melody

Although perhaps best known for his guitar playing with Yes in the 1970s and there are three pieces from the band's early-1970s albums Fragile and Close to the Edge included here Steve Howe (like the Police's Andy Summers, or Howe's former Yes bandmate Bill Bruford) has always been a jazz lover (Kenny Burrell his chief influence, on the evidence of this album), and this trio finds him collaborating with two young jazz musicians, his drummer son Dylan and Ross Stanley on Hammond.

Frantisek Uhlir, Darko Jurkovic, Jaromir Helesic Maybe Later

Bassist Frantisek Uhlir is probably best known in the UK for his work in pianist Emil Viklicky's trio, but on this album he leads a trio completed by Croatian guitarist Darko Jurkovic and drummer Jaromir Helesic. Over Uhlir's characteristically lithe and flexible, but sonorous bass, Jurkovic (like Stanley Jordan) concentrates on the 'hammering on' technique rather than the more conventional plucking or strumming...

Carla Marcotulli with Dick Halligan How Can I Get to Mars?

Sister of pianist Rita (who provides a couple of the songs on this album), singer Carla Marcotulli became something of a fixture on the Italian jazz scene after appearing, aged 19, on stage with Chet Baker at the Four Roses Jazz Festival and performing regularly at Rome's Music Inn jazz club.

Django Bates Spring is Here (Shall We Dance?)

Completing composer/keyboard player Django Bates's 'Four Seasons' (previous albums reference 'Summer Fruits', 'Autumn Fires' and 'Winter Truce'), Spring is Here is quintessential Bates: quirky, vital, restless and playfully exuberant.

Howard Riley Three Is One

The title will immediately alert close observers of Howard Riley's recorded output to the fact that this is by way of being a follow-up to his 2005 album, Two is One (Emanem); here, instead of overdubbing two pianos, he reverts to a format documented nearly thirty years ago (on Trisect, Impetus), involving his twice overdubbing spontaneous reactions to previous improvisations and thus ending up with a piano trio.