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ESSENTIAL CDS, VINYL AND GIGS REVIEWED ISSUE 291 DEC 23/JAN 24 £6.95 Photo Photo Stock Stock lamy lamy Images/A Images/A intage intage VV: RBM : RBM Photo Photo ALBUMS OF THE YEAR CRITICS POLL SPECIAL ISSUE! z Orchestra zzz Jaz Ž‘‘’“”•–“ Jazz Orchestra Centennial “We love him madly” love him madly” e We“We Gary Crosby, Nikki Iles and Guy Barker on Duke’s legacy Essential Ellington ntial Ellin ense Ess The must-have Ducal albums “Dissonant and bluesy” sonant and blu s iss “Dis The secrets to Duke’s piano mastery EXCLUSIVE! Duke’s ‘lost’ 1967 interview E 967 interview Plus unseen photos “This is emotive and beautiful music” eautiful music” Gregory Porter Porter Talks Stevie, Donny and Nat King Cole Balimaya Project Project Percussive heat PLUS: • Chris Botti • Bex Burch • Bernie Grundman • Jim Rattigan • Alex Clarke For the latest breaking news visit www.jazzwise.com News By Mike Flynn and Kevin Whitlock Editor in chief Jon Newey Editor Mike Flynn Deputy editor Kevin Whitlock Design Juliet Boucher Instrument co-ordinator David Gallant Email: dpg.base.t21@btinternet.com Gig Guide editor Rosie Hanley roseanne.hanley@gmail.com Advertisement Manager Ros McRae Tel: 0141 334 1735 Email: ros@jazzwise.com Contributors Tony Benjamin Jane Cornwell John Fordham Kevin Le Gendre Brian Glasser Selwyn Harris Nick Hasted Mike Hobart Peter Jones Martin Longley Hugh Morris Eddie Myer Stuart Nicholson Edwin Pouncey Brian Priestley Peter Quinn Andy Robson Alyn Shipton Robert Shore Daniel Spicer Peter Vacher Val Wilmer Photographers Tim Dickeson Roger Thomas Val Wilmer Monika S Jakubowska Call our Subscription Department Freephone: 0800 137201 (UK only) Telephone: 01722 716997 (UK & Overseas) Or email us on: subscriptions@markallengroup.com Marketing Manager John Barnett Managing Director Paul Geoghegan CEO Ben Allen Chairman Mark Allen SUBSCRIPTION RATES ”UK PERSONAL– Quarterly Direct Debit £14.50 Annual Direct Debit £57 Annual Credit Card £60 Two Year Annual Credit Card £102 Three Year Annual Credit Card £144 Subscribe online: www.magsubscriptions.com Subscribe by phone: +44 (0)1722 716997 part of www.markallengroup.com Jazzwise is published by MA Music Leisure & Travel Ltd, St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Road, London SE24 0PB Tel: +44 (0)20 8677 0012 Website: www. jazzwise.com Please read our privacy policy, by visiting http://privacypolicy.markallengroup.com. This will explain how we process, use & safeguard your data MA Music Leisure & Travel Ltd, 2023. All rights reserved. No part of the Jazzwise may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission of the Publishing Director. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the editor or Jazzwise Advertisements in the journal do not imply endorsement of the products or services advertised. ISSN 1368-0021 Printed by: Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Dowlais, CF48 3TD Founded by Charles Alexander in 1997 4 Jazzwise Dec23/Jan24 Sophia Domancich Robert Mitchell's True Think Eddie Parker Winter warmer: Bath Jazz Weekend returns in January 2024 with a bumper line-up The annual Bath Jazz Weekend is set to return in early 2024, at the Widcombe Social Club in the city, running across the first weekend of the year from 5 to 7 January. Promoted by Nod Knowles, who runs Bath’s All Of The Above jazz concert series, the programme includes a number of musicians from Europe, reflecting the BJW’s ever-widening reputation in the jazz community The running order has yet to be finalised, but artists so far confirmed include: trumpeter Claude Deppa and his Quintet with saxophonist Claire Hurst; saxophonist Larry Stabbins (aka Stonephace) in a duo with high-flying improv pianist Alexander Hawkins; post-M-Base jazz from Robert Mitchell’s True Think featuring vocalist Liselotte Ostblom; baritone saxophonist Francois Corneloup with pianist Tony Hymas; French pianist Sophia Domancich and improv titan Paul Dunmall in a trio or quartet (to be confirmed); Julie Tippetts and Maggie Nicols in an improvised vocal duo; former Polar Bear saxophonist Mark Lockheart with leading Welsh pianist Huw Warren and renowned bassist Yuri Goloubev; a Tomorrow’s Warriors quintet led by alto saxophonist Mila Shear; plus Loose Tubes’ flautist Eddie Parker and his Airborn band, featuring guitarist Rob Luft; and The Gas Giants, who include Goldfrapp keyboardist/arrangers Will Gregory and Rony Orrell. The event is run as a co-operative, with everyone from headliners to door staff taking an equal share of any profits. Further details and tickets (including weekend passes and single event tickets) will be announced on the festival’s website in due course. Full details at www.bathjazzweekend.com Ambrose Akinmusire to debut on Nonesuch with Owl Song album Composer and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire makes his debut for Nonesuch Records with his new album, Owl Song, which is released on 15 December. The album features a trio with two musicians Akinmusire has long admired: guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Herlin Riley. Having signed to Blue Note in 2010, his debut for the imprint, When The Heart Emerges Glistening (2011), received widespread acclaim with a further four albums for the label helping to establish him as a consistently exciting and creative force. Ushering in a new phase of his career, Owl Song presents starkly beautiful music that is stripped back to an almost folk-like simplicity and spaciousness, which Akinmusire confirms is, “my reaction to being assaulted by information. This record is me wanting to create a safe space. Part of the challenge was: can I create something that’s oriented around open space, the way some of the records I love the most do?” Explaining his choice of collaborators, he adds: “I had a feeling of wanting to record with Bill from the first time we played – it was a duo performance, [with] very little rehearsal. We just played through some of my songs, and it worked. One of Bill’s special gifts is the ability to shape a piece he’s just heard for the first time. He seems to know what the music wants before the first note. With Herlin, his commitment to beauty you can find in the groove. I never like to tell musicians too much about what I’m going for, because it should be about what these particular people bring … I said, ‘I know you’re the right person for this because of the way you approach the groove.’ And, of course, what he did is just beautiful.” Owl Song is the first of three records Akinmusire is releasing on Nonesuch over the next year. Each will spotlight a distinct element of his musical world and involve different instrumentation and production approaches. See the February 2024 issue of Jazzwise fo A a w w for an exclusive interview with Ambrose Akinmusire about the album. For more info visit www.nonesuch.com and www.ambroseakinmusire.com
page 5
Trish Clowes and Ross Stanley Duo project among Stoney Lane Records' 2024 releases Birmingham-based label and live producers Stoney Lane Records have announced a busy autumn/winter schedule that kicks off with a new live recording from much-admired saxophonist and improvisor Paul Dunmall, whose Soultime Again is released on 8 December. The album features his Quintet of Percy Pursglove, Glen Leach, Dave Kane and Miles Levin alongside the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Big Band, with arrangements of Dunmall’s original material by Ed Puddick. Early 2024 sees saxophonist Trish Clowes and long-term collaborator pianist Ross Stanley (pictured right) join forces for Journey to Where, which is released on International Women’s Day (Friday 8 March) to coincide with their performance at Wigmore Hall (where the music was also recorded). The concert will be a "panoramic celebration of women in music as both composers and performers" and includes singers Clare Wheeler, Liz Swain, Tara Minton and Jo Lawry, all of whom combine on songs by female composers including ‘Do You Play’ and ‘Decently Ripped’ by Clowes, ‘Awakening’ by Nikki Iles and ‘Skin’ by Geri Allen. Further releases include another duo album from pianist Rebecca Nash and vocalist Sara Colman and their Ribbons project. Comprising a new set of songs and™arrangements celebrating their musical partnership, the album’s top-notch guests include trumpeter Percy Pursglove, saxophonists Trish Clowes and Iain Ballamy, bassists Chris Mapp and Henrik Jensen, and Ruth Hammond on bass clarinet. Acclaimed young saxophonist Xhosa Cole will release his third album on Stoney Lane in the spring in the form of a live album of Thelonious Monk tunes recorded during Cole’s 38-date UK tour that saw the band joined by NYC tap dancer Liberty Styles and vocalist Heidi Vogel. And closing the first half of 2024, pianist and organist David Ferris presents his dynamic septet and beguiling original writing with his new release, Sketches, with the eminent New York-based guitarist Peter Bernstein guesting on the recording. For more info visit www.stoneylane.net Rosie Frater-Taylor returns with ‘punchy’ new album Featherweight Fast-emerging singer/guitarist Rosie™Frater-Taylor™will release her new album, Featherweight, on Cooking Vinyl in February 2024. The follow-up to 2021’s Bloom, which garnered over three million streams, Featherweight marks a stylistic shift for Frater-Taylor as she draws inspiration from a broad spectrum of musical sources, from songwriters PJ Harvey to Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush, to contemporary musicians John Mayer, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Madison Cunningham. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music’s Jazz Course, Frater-Taylor matches sophisticated guitar work, deft vocals and grooves with witty lyrics and wryly humorous subject matter. Backed by top UK bassist Robin Mullarkey and her talented regular drummer Tom Potter, the songs also benefit from Frater-Taylor’s ability to double-up her voice and guitar in both a melodic and soloistic capacity. Commenting on the music Rosie says: “I felt it was very important to capture my live band’s energy and chemistry to do the tracks justice. I feel this is where my desire to make the album ‘punch’ stems from; the sheer strength and excitement I’ve come to feel when performing this music in front of a live audience with just my guitar and the best musicians I know.” Frater-Taylor’s trio, with Dave Edwards on bass and Potter on drums, heads out on a series of 2024 UK gigs to support the album at the following venues: The Louisiana, Bristol (9 Feb); Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds (13 Feb); Rumshack, Glasgow (15 Feb); The Deaf Institute, Manchester (16 Feb); Omeara, London (17 Feb). For more info visit rosiefratertaylor.com Editor’s Note Where has the time gone? While another year has flashed past, the whirlwind of exciting new music and incredible abundance of archival gems is all somewhat offset by some very tough financial times, desperate dog-whistle politics, two brutal wars and the everworsening climate crisis... So looking for reasons to be cheerful, we close out 2023 with a double musical celebration: once again our Albums of the Year Critics Poll shows the resilience and phenomenal creativity still at work in jazz today, as both our new and archival Top 20s demonstrate. We also mark the 100th anniversary of Duke Ellington’s Jazz Orchestra, an ever-evolving ensemble that was the engine room driving his many innovative compositional ideas. It also became emblematic of how a creative genius can walk between the mainstream and the depths of scholarly musicianship to forge a legacy that still towers over the music made today. There are some wonderful insights from our esteemed writers and such renowned figures as Guy Barker, Nikki Iles, Gary Crosby and the mighty Gregory Porter, who all underline how Duke was a game changer in the world of jazz and beyond. And finally to you our loyal readers – we wouldn’t be here without you – we love you madly too! Mike Flynn, Jon Newey and Kevin Whitlock Jazzwise Dec23/Jan24 5

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ESSENTIAL CDS, VINYL AND GIGS REVIEWED

ISSUE 291 DEC 23/JAN 24 £6.95

Photo

Photo

Stock

Stock lamy lamy

Images/A

Images/A

intage intage

VV: RBM

: RBM

Photo

Photo

ALBUMS OF THE

YEAR CRITICS

POLL

SPECIAL ISSUE!

z Orchestra zzz Jaz Ž‘‘’“”•–“

Jazz Orchestra Centennial

“We love him madly” love him madly” e We“We Gary Crosby, Nikki Iles and Guy Barker on Duke’s legacy

Essential Ellington ntial Ellin ense Ess The must-have Ducal albums

“Dissonant and bluesy”

sonant and blu s iss “Dis The secrets to Duke’s piano mastery

EXCLUSIVE! Duke’s ‘lost’ 1967 interview E

967 interview

Plus unseen photos

“This is emotive and beautiful music”

eautiful music” Gregory

Porter

Porter Talks Stevie, Donny and Nat King Cole

Balimaya

Project

Project Percussive heat

PLUS:

• Chris Botti • Bex Burch

• Bernie Grundman • Jim Rattigan • Alex Clarke

For the latest breaking news visit www.jazzwise.com News By Mike Flynn and Kevin Whitlock

Editor in chief Jon Newey Editor Mike Flynn Deputy editor Kevin Whitlock Design Juliet Boucher Instrument co-ordinator David Gallant Email: dpg.base.t21@btinternet.com Gig Guide editor Rosie Hanley roseanne.hanley@gmail.com Advertisement Manager Ros McRae Tel: 0141 334 1735 Email: ros@jazzwise.com Contributors Tony Benjamin Jane Cornwell John Fordham Kevin Le Gendre Brian Glasser Selwyn Harris Nick Hasted Mike Hobart Peter Jones Martin Longley Hugh Morris

Eddie Myer Stuart Nicholson Edwin Pouncey Brian Priestley Peter Quinn Andy Robson Alyn Shipton Robert Shore Daniel Spicer Peter Vacher Val Wilmer

Photographers Tim Dickeson Roger Thomas Val Wilmer Monika S Jakubowska Call our Subscription Department Freephone: 0800 137201 (UK only) Telephone: 01722 716997 (UK & Overseas) Or email us on: subscriptions@markallengroup.com Marketing Manager John Barnett Managing Director Paul Geoghegan CEO Ben Allen Chairman Mark Allen

SUBSCRIPTION RATES ”UK PERSONAL– Quarterly Direct Debit £14.50 Annual Direct Debit £57 Annual Credit Card £60 Two Year Annual Credit Card £102 Three Year Annual Credit Card £144 Subscribe online: www.magsubscriptions.com Subscribe by phone: +44 (0)1722 716997

part of www.markallengroup.com

Jazzwise is published by MA Music Leisure & Travel Ltd, St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Road, London SE24 0PB Tel: +44 (0)20 8677 0012 Website: www. jazzwise.com Please read our privacy policy, by visiting http://privacypolicy.markallengroup.com. This will explain how we process, use & safeguard your data MA Music Leisure & Travel Ltd, 2023. All rights reserved. No part of the Jazzwise may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission of the Publishing Director. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the editor or Jazzwise Advertisements in the journal do not imply endorsement of the products or services advertised. ISSN 1368-0021 Printed by: Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Dowlais, CF48 3TD Founded by Charles Alexander in 1997

4 Jazzwise Dec23/Jan24

Sophia Domancich

Robert Mitchell's True Think

Eddie Parker

Winter warmer: Bath Jazz Weekend returns in January 2024 with a bumper line-up

The annual Bath Jazz Weekend is set to return in early 2024, at the Widcombe Social Club in the city, running across the first weekend of the year from 5 to 7 January. Promoted by Nod Knowles, who runs Bath’s All Of The Above jazz concert series, the programme includes a number of musicians from Europe, reflecting the BJW’s ever-widening reputation in the jazz community The running order has yet to be finalised, but artists so far confirmed include: trumpeter Claude Deppa and his Quintet with saxophonist Claire Hurst; saxophonist Larry Stabbins (aka Stonephace) in a duo with high-flying improv pianist Alexander Hawkins; post-M-Base jazz from Robert Mitchell’s True Think featuring vocalist Liselotte Ostblom; baritone saxophonist Francois Corneloup with pianist Tony Hymas; French pianist Sophia

Domancich and improv titan Paul Dunmall in a trio or quartet (to be confirmed); Julie Tippetts and Maggie Nicols in an improvised vocal duo; former Polar Bear saxophonist Mark Lockheart with leading Welsh pianist Huw Warren and renowned bassist Yuri Goloubev; a Tomorrow’s Warriors quintet led by alto saxophonist Mila Shear; plus Loose Tubes’ flautist Eddie Parker and his Airborn band, featuring guitarist Rob Luft; and The Gas Giants, who include Goldfrapp keyboardist/arrangers Will Gregory and Rony Orrell.

The event is run as a co-operative, with everyone from headliners to door staff taking an equal share of any profits. Further details and tickets (including weekend passes and single event tickets) will be announced on the festival’s website in due course. Full details at www.bathjazzweekend.com

Ambrose Akinmusire to debut on Nonesuch with Owl Song album Composer and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire makes his debut for Nonesuch Records with his new album, Owl Song, which is released on 15 December. The album features a trio with two musicians Akinmusire has long admired: guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Herlin Riley. Having signed to Blue Note in 2010, his debut for the imprint, When The Heart Emerges Glistening (2011), received widespread acclaim with a further four albums for the label helping to establish him as a consistently exciting and creative force. Ushering in a new phase of his career, Owl Song presents starkly beautiful music that is stripped back to an almost folk-like simplicity and spaciousness, which Akinmusire confirms is, “my reaction to being assaulted by information. This record is me wanting to create a safe space. Part of the challenge was: can I create something that’s oriented around open space, the way some of the records I love the most do?”

Explaining his choice of collaborators, he adds: “I had a feeling of wanting to record with Bill from the first time we played – it was a duo performance, [with] very little rehearsal. We just played through some of my songs, and it worked. One of Bill’s special gifts is the ability to shape a piece he’s just heard for the first time. He seems to know what the music wants before the first note. With Herlin, his commitment to beauty you can find in the groove. I never like to tell musicians too much about what I’m going for, because it should be about what these particular people bring … I said, ‘I know you’re the right person for this because of the way you approach the groove.’ And, of course,

what he did is just beautiful.”

Owl Song is the first of three records Akinmusire is releasing on Nonesuch over the next year. Each will spotlight a distinct element of his musical world and involve different instrumentation and production approaches.

See the February 2024 issue of Jazzwise fo A a w w for an exclusive interview with Ambrose Akinmusire about the album. For more info visit www.nonesuch.com and www.ambroseakinmusire.com

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