Jazz Journal

Jazz Journal is a renowned British jazz magazine that was founded in 1946 by Sinclair Traill (1904–1981). Initially, it was released in London under the name Pick Up, which Traill created to provide a platform for serious jazz critique in the UK. In May 1948, Traill invested his own funds to relaunch the publication as Jazz Journal. He continued to oversee its editorial direction for the remainder of his life. Today, Jazz Journal holds the distinction of being the longest-running jazz magazine in Britain.

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English

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#1588855

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#805024

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#11952

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Reviewed: Andy Hague Big Band | Stephane Mercier | Alison Rayner Quintet

1 day ago | jazzjournal.co.uk | Darren Arthurs

Andy Hague is a well-respected trumpet player from Bristol and within the 10 tracks here you get a snippet of what to expect if you catch his big band in action. The recording seems a little bit “bootleg” (by that I mean it’s not too fancy or precious) and I think this is an advantage; what you hear is what was played and at times it really soars. Often live albums lack the energy you get from physically being in the room but somehow this manages to keep the urgency and energy. Brilliant stuff.
The Third Stream Quartet | Magnus Bakken | Hiromi | Mike Majkowski

2 weeks ago | jazzjournal.co.uk | Nigel Jarrett

Most of the records made by Latvian company Jersika, the jazz and improvised-music label founded by Mareks Ameriks in 2017, are made completely analogue and eventually cut directly to lacquer. But even those that go through the digital process are, the company says, carefully mastered to preserve a warmth of sound. The current album bears that out.
Robert Fogle: My 8 Decade Musical Journey

3 weeks ago | jazzjournal.co.uk | Leon Nock

The author says he was born in Toronto in 1941 and is the retired president of an entertainment agency who spent 27 years hosting the radio show Some Experiences In Jazz, where he interviewed over 700 jazz people, including Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck, Count Basie, Stan Getz, Peter Appleyard and Moe Koffman.
John Scofield Trio at Ronnie Scott's

1 month ago | jazzjournal.co.uk | Mark Gilbert

“Sounded great!” quipped Scofield as drummer Bill Stewart suddenly dived off stage just as the trio had taken the stand. It was typical of the guitarist’s always amiable stagecraft, evident throughout the evening in clear, informative and sometimes wry announcements. Stewart was soon back, presumably having retrieved some forgotten item from the green room, and the band were into Blue Monk. The choice was indicative of the 70-minute set to come.
James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”

1 month ago | jazzjournal.co.uk | Brian Payne

James Baldwin (1924-1987) is considered by many to be one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Born into poverty in Harlem, New York, he became an activist and broke new ground with his exploration of racial and social issues in works such as Go Tell It On The Mountain, Notes Of A Native Son And The Fire Next Time. His short story Sonny’s Blues was published in 1957.
Reviewed: Immanuel Wilkins | Dan Siegel | Jim Witzel Quartet

1 month ago | jazzjournal.co.uk | Nigel Jarrett

Saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins’s third album for Blue Note is a big departure for him. As a concept, it’s played out on a broad canvas that encircles and and engages with black historicity. It might have been just angry.
Deborah Silver at Crazy Coqs, London

1 month ago | jazzjournal.co.uk | Leon Nock

At 9:15 on Monday evening Deborah Silver walked on to the stand at Crazy Coqs, grabbed the audience by the scruff of the neck and didn’t let go til they sighed “uncle” some 75 minutes later. Apparently, she hails from the Deep South – Jackson, Mississippi – and had reservations about how well she might do here in the UK. I can best assuage those doubts by saying that from now on we’ll need reservations if we want to catch her again.
Reviewed: Fabiano do Nascimento | Richard X Bennett | Mathias Eick | Etienne Manchon Trio | Knats

1 month ago | 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.
Reviewed: Benjamin Boone | Krokofant | Prepared | Tuomo & Markus with Verneri Pohjola

1 month ago | jazzjournal.co.uk | Fred Grand

American saxophonist, composer and educator Benjamin Boone is a virtuoso performer equally at home in the worlds of jazz and contemporary classical music. A series of recordings with leading poets, including the late Philip Levine, revealed a keen interest in social justice, while extended overseas trips to Moldova (2015), Ghana (2017-18) and Ireland (2022-23) as a Fulbright Scholar have allowed him to immerse himself in local cultures.
Reviewed: Adam Ben Ezra | Matt Booth | Elliot Galvin

1 month ago | jazzjournal.co.uk | Darren Arthurs

Back in 2012 a video kept appearing on my social media. It featured a man in a hat playing double bass with a black labrador sleeping happily to the right of the screen. At the time I was taking the leap from electric bass to double bass so I was lapping up any footage of double-bass playing I could find, and this video made me sit up and question if I should just stick to electric bass because what I heard was something totally different to anything I heard people do before.