John L. Adcock

3 weeks ago | jazzjournal.co.uk | John L. Adcock

“I’m not interested in the new for the sake of newness” writes Jeremy Pelt in the liner notes for Woven. It is an interesting observation to make, because although Pelt puts his own stamp on his music and sounds very contemporary, there are throwbacks to be heard to other masters of the trumpet. Woven is a very self-assured album that combines ballads with more electronic compositions.

1 month ago | jazzjournal.co.uk | John L. Adcock

Born in Paris and raised in Scotland, Rebecca Vasmant has become an unofficial ambassador for contemporary jazz. Drawing deeply on personal experiences that have shaped her, Vasmant – a DJ producer as well as performer – has put together a haunting album that has a magpie quality to it, drawing it as does on so many different influences. There are hypnotic rhythms, spoken words, electronics, horns and strings all working together to shape the sound.

Mar 9, 2025 | jazzjournal.co.uk | John L. Adcock

Fabiano do Nascimento was born in Rio de Janeiro and is based in Los Angeles and Japan. The guitarist, composer, arranger and producer is known for his intricately woven, multi-string performances, and this recording captures a live performance from June 2023 in Los Angeles. The music is more New Age, ambient and electronic than it is jazz, but that does not detract from the interesting merger of cultures that shapes Nascimento’s approach to music.

Feb 3, 2025 | jazzjournal.co.uk | John L. Adcock

This is the follow up to Latham’s 2016 collection of 11 rock pieces that were given the jazz-fusion treatment. This time around, Latham has collected eight songs from the likes of The Doors, Stephen Stills, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant and taken them in new directions whilst preserving the sentiment and integrity of the original material. In a way, the album is a loving and respectful tribute to some of the music Latham enjoyed hearing as he grew up in the 1960s and 70s.

Jan 6, 2025 | jazzjournal.co.uk | John L. Adcock

Koo Nimo, a leading 93-year-old highlife musician and apparently the first Ghanaian to release an album of his own music, introduces this fine album with a brief retrospective on how highlife developed. It provides an excellent overview of the music that Peter Somuah explores on his latest album for ACT. More than previously, Somuah reflects on and acknowledges the political context in which he grew up in Ghana.