Album: Deep Throat Choir - In Order To Know You

★★★ DEEP THROAT CHOIR - IN ORDER TO KNOW YOU Vocal collective’s jazzy, soul-influenced album brings new instrumentation on board

Vocal collective’s jazzy, soul-influenced album brings new instrumentation on board

Although it’s indirect, the overall feel of In Order To Know You points to where jazz and soul meet –  a space analogous to that occupied by The Rotary Connection, Seventies Curtis Mayfield, Neneh Cherry, the early Camille and the warmer end of trip-hop. It’s an impression fostered by shuffling drums, interlacing brass and undulating strings.

Album: Kenny G - New Standards

Stultifyingly slow and near-lifeless

Saxophonist Kenny G knows exactly what buttons he needs to press to upset the jazz faithful. He is quoted as having said of his new album New Standards (Concord): “The jazz community is gonna hate it. And that doesn’t concern me.”

theartsdesk Q&A: jazz musician Charles Lloyd

Q&A: JAZZ MUSICIAN CHARLES LLOYD Long strange trip from Howlin’ Wolf to Norah Jones

Jazz Zelig’s long, strange trip from Howlin’ Wolf to Norah Jones

Miles Davis stole Charles Lloyd’s band, and much else.

Soweto Kinch, LSO / 'London Third Stream', London Sinfonietta, EFG London Jazz Festival review - projects from the political to the loop-y

Thoughtful provocation from Soweto Kinch

“Take Jazz Seriously,” wrote Maurice Ravel after his American trip in 1928. This past week of the 2021 EFG London Jazz Festival has seen that advice itself being taken seriously, with a bunching of projects and premieres. Jazz musicians have been welcomed in to work with London orchestras. The fruition of months of preparatory work has been on show.

Balsom, Daniel, Poster, Britten Sinfonia, Stroman, Milton Court review – kinds of blue

★★★★ BALSOM, DANIEL, POSTER, STROMAN, BRITTEN SYMPHONIA, BARBICAN Kinds of blue

Virtuoso trumpet leads a journey through musical America

Where do you draw – how do you draw? – a credible line between jazz and “classical” music in 20th-century America? With the reliably boundary-busting Britten Sinfonia, trumpeter Alison Balsom mixed and matched works from different formal lineages in her packed programme at Milton Court, “An American Rhapsody”.

Cécile McLorin Salvant, EFG London Jazz Festival review - strength, vulnerability and humour

★★★★★ CECILE MCLORIN SALVANT, EFG LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL The vocalist and composer channels Kate Bush and Brecht/Weill to transfixing effect

The vocalist and composer channels Kate Bush and Brecht/Weill to transfixing effect

A fascinating song list that juxtaposed originals with musical theatre, pop songs, Brazilian music and more. An inventive, listening band – take a bow Glenn Zaleski (piano), Alexa Tarantino (flute), Marvin Sewell (guitar), Yasushi Nakamura (bass) and Keito Ogawa (percussion) – who supported singer and song in the most empathetic way possible.

Jazz Voice, EFG London Jazz Festival review - from intimate delicacy to stunning virtuosity

★★★★★ JAZZ VOICE, EFG LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL From intimate delicacy to stunning virtuosity

Celebration of the voice offers cherished classics and newly composed delights

A celebration of that most extraordinary instrument, the human voice, this year’s edition of Jazz Voice – which gladly welcomed back a live audience and a full-strength EFG London Jazz Festival Orchestra – ranged from music of intimate delicacy to stunning virtuosity. Across two separate sets, eight singularly gifted artists showcased their distinctive storytelling gifts, enveloped by Guy Barker’s richly detailed arrangements.

Album: Electric Eye - Horizons

★★★ ELECTRIC EYE - HORIZONS Norwegian psych-rock with jazz and Krautrock leanings

Norwegian psych-rock with jazz and Krautrock leanings is a trip

Bergen’s Electric Eye’s pithy description of themselves is “psych-space-drone-rock from Norway.” They also say they “play droned out psych-rock inspired by the blues, India and the ever-more expanding universe.” Horizons is their fourth studio album.

Black String, Grand Junction review – storm-force intensity

★★★★ BLACK STRING, GRAND JUNCTION The otherworldly sound of Korea’s finest quartet

Immerse yourself in the defibrillating, otherworldly sound of Korea’s finest quartet

If you were looking for a word to describe Black String in performance at Grand Junction in Paddington, before the high altar of the church of St Mary Magdalene, itself a pinnacle of Victorian neo-Gothic bravura, then that word would be “intense”. Intensely intense. More intense than a blooming bank of Intensia.

Music Reissues Weekly: Graham Collier - British Conversations

GRAHAM COLLIER - BRITISH CONVERSATIONS Previously unissued suite by the British jazz composer and bandleader

Previously unissued suite enhances understanding of the British jazz composer, bassist and bandleader

Over 1974 to 1978 Graham Collier issued five albums on his own imprint Mosaic. There was another in 1985 and eight releases on Mosaic by other musicians, but for its first four years the imprint was dominated by the British jazz composer, bassist and bandleader’s own work. In the same period, three books Collier had written came out.