Hosted by Jazz FM presenters Chris Philips and Jez Nelson, and taking place in the historic surroundings of Shoreditch Town Hall, this sixth edition of the Jazz FM Awards celebrated the dynamism, passion and vitality of the UK’s young jazz scene, with SEED Ensemble leader Cassie Kinoshi picking up Breakthrough Act of the Year, rising jazz singer Cherise Adams-Burnett receiving Vocalist of the Year, and the similarly youthful Poppy Ajudha proving a popular choice as

Never quite the household names in Britain that they were in their native USA, Daryl Hall and John Oates can nonetheless claim to be the best-selling duo in the history of popular music. With 40 million records sold, six US chart-topping singles and a heap of gold and platinum albums, they come out ahead even of such luminaries as Simon & Garfunkel or the Everly Brothers.

How to put a full-stop on an over 50 year recording career? For multiple Music Hall of Fame-rs The O’Jays, the answer includes a party track penned by Bruno Mars, a reworked 60s single and a final chance to ruminate on the state of the world. The appropriately-named The Last Word packs a lot into a mere nine songs, and while the result is a bit of a mixed bag, it’s great to see one of the leading lights of the Philadelphia sound call time on a storied career on their own terms.

When poetic London MC Loyle Carner first appeared a couple years ago he was hailed for his fresh take on UK hip hop. Compared to the street-centric machismo of much grime music, he offered a welcome insight into a more sensitive 21^st century masculinity that was a hit with both arts media sorts and the public.

The sticker on the sleeve says “Marvin Gaye’s Lost Album.” A prime internet sales site states “You’re The Man was the album that was proposed to follow-up the monumental What’s Going On.” According to the marketing and promotional material, You’re The Man is “Marvin Gaye’s never-released 1972 Tamla/Motown album” and that it’s the “music legend’s shelved follow-up to What’s

There's a remarkable lightness to the way Norah Jones has glid through her career.

The US music trade weekly Cashbox chose a picture of the then-hot Diana Ross & the Supremes and Temptations joint enterprise for the cover of its 14 December 1968 issue. On page 28, under the header “Best Bets”, a review of the “It’s the Loving Season” single by The Vareeations (pictured above) said “Standout female lead makes an especially fine showing on this blues-pop ballad side.

In the summer of 2014, there was little getting away from Hozier's "Take Me to Church". Whenever you turned on the TV or the radio there it was. It wasn't just in this country. Eventually, the song became number one in 12 countries and number 2 in the States. Of course, for the singer, this massive success also brought a big problem: how to top it? When Hozier sat down to write his new album he must have agonised about what he'd got so right first time around.

On paper, the recipe was simply a blend of soul, gospel, folk, and rock. The clever bit was how the ingredients were mixed. Hozier's music appealed both to sensitive indie rockers and those who prefer a more muscular style. That's what set it apart. theartsdesk's reviewer - a self-confessed loather of vulnerable male singer-songwriters - even opined that Andrew Hozier-Byrne had much more in common with Robert Plant than the likes of David Gray or Jack Johnson.

This time around Hozier still mixes soul with rock and folk. But now, the proportions have changed. 

Three belting soul-rock numbers open proceedings. Guest appearances by Mavis Staples and Booker T give opener, "Nina Cried Power", a rich, meaty sound. Personally, I prefer the more nuanced tone on "Almost (Sweet Music)". The guitar is light, the verse is beautifully mumbled and the whole lot just sways. It almost reminds you of Van Morrison.

It also sets things up nicely for the album's two pop-rock numbers. One works well, the other less so. "Nobody" adds a pinch of hip hop to create a possible summer hit. Unfortunately, "To Noise Making (Sing)" takes the catchy vibe too far, veering perilously close to George Ezra territory. 

Finally, we come to the brooding folk-rockers. The best of these are really quite pretty. "As it was" contains hints of early John Martyn, and the album's closer, "Wasteland Baby!" harks straight back to acoustic Zeppelin. Disappointingly, though, the quality, again, isn't even. "Sunlight" seems to never end and "Dinner and Diatribes" is just too scratchy. 

You can't help noticing too, that these are two of the album's most gloomy-sounding songs. As Hozier knows well, being musically downbeat works better when there's a little contrast. Wasteland Baby!'s finer moments - and there are many - come where he balances his natural despondency with some positivity. 

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@russcoffey

Overleaf: the lyric video to "Wasteland Baby!"