Ben Wendel – High Heart (Edition Records EDN 1162. Album review by Jon Turney) We’re all still catching up with stuff after the pandemic pause, aren’t we? So like me you may […]
52 Jazz Tracks for 2021. 45. ‘Moon’ – William Parker Quartet, Live at Yoshi’s, 2006

The 45th of Jon Turney’s weekly selections is from a great quartet of the noughties. The first recording by William Parker’s quartet, O’Neal’s Porch from 2001, made it clear they had something […]
‘Living with Imperfection – Ran Blake’

Living with Imperfection – Ran Blake (Documentary film by Antoine Polin, 2021, 67mins. Review by Jon Turney) The critic Eric Thacker once suggested Ran Blake’s music, especially music evoked by movies, was […]
52 Jazz Tracks for 2021. 44. ‘Doin’ it for Art’ – Stan Tracey Quartet, Captain Adventure, 1975

The 44th of Jon Turney’s weekly selections comes from a classic night at the 100 Club. This recording, a near lifelong favourite, preserves a pretty spectacular night’s playing by all concerned. I […]
52 Jazz Tracks for 2021. 43. ‘Tumbao No 5 (para Charlie Mingus)’ – Orlando “Cachaíto” López, Cachaito, 2001

The 43rd of Jon Turney’s weekly selections is one great bassist’s homage to another. Hard to believe the original Buena Vista Social Club album is 25 years old. And after the first […]
52 Jazz Tracks for 2021. 42. ‘First Song: For Ruth’ – from Charlie Haden Quartet West, In Angel City, 1988

The 42nd of Jon Turney’s weekly selections features a memorably different saxophone sound. Charlie Haden’s Quartet West project produced a series of albums that were love letters to LA, and its mid-century […]
Linda Fredriksson – ‘Juniper’

Linda Fredriksson – Juniper (We Jazz Records WJCD40. Album review by Jon Turney) Saxophonist Linda Fredriksson is new to me, but has evidently played in several prominent bands in their(*) Finnish homeland. […]
52 Jazz Tracks for 2021, 41. ‘La Folia: The Roccella Variations’. From ‘George Russell Living Time Orchestra, The London Concert’, 1989

The 41st of Jon Turney’s weekly selections finds a great composer-arranger getting the best from an Anglo-American ensemble. One of the late John Cumming’s many good deeds was bringing George Russell over […]
52 Jazz Tracks for 2021. 40. ‘In Case You Missed It’ – Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Album of the Year, 1981

The 40th of Jon Turney’s weekly selections comes from Art Blakey’s late line-up of stars in the making. This album, with its teasingly ambiguous title (is it your album of the year, […]
John Law’s Congregation – ‘CONFIGURATION’ (Album Launch 27 October)

A year and a half after its release in May 2020, John Law’s Congregation will be celebrating the launch of their new album CONFIGURATION next month at King’s Place. Feature by Jon […]
52 Jazz Tracks for 2021. 39. ‘Seems like a lifetime ago’ – Bill Bruford, Feels Good to Me, 1978

The 39th of Jon Turney’s weekly selections has the drummer making the best possible use of an elusive vocalist. A game of two halves, labelled as Parts one and two on the […]
52 Jazz Tracks for 2021. 38. ‘All Good Things’ – Big Air, 2008.

The 38th of Jon Turney’s weekly selections is a notable transatlantic collaboration. Big Air were a brilliant UK-US collaboration featuring trumpeter Chris Batchelor and multi-reeds player Steve Buckley, two of the horn […]
52 Jazz Tracks for 2021. 37. ‘The Ass’ Song’, Annie Ross and the Tony Kinsey Quintet: Loguerhythms, 1962.

The 37th of Jon Turney’s weekly selections features an uncommonly successful collaboration between a poet and a singer. Advice to jazz singers: Find a decent poet who is interested in songwriting. Get […]
52 Jazz Tracks for 2021. 36. ‘Song and Dance’, Joe Lovano: Quartets – Live at the Village Vanguard, 1994.

The 36th of Jon Turney’s weekly selections features a thrilling encounter between two great horn players. Joe Lovano’s long tenure with Blue Note mostly produced studio recordings, but they had to do […]
Pat Metheny – ‘Side Eye – NYC (v1.iv)’

Pat Metheny, Side eye – NYC (v1.iv) (BMG . Album review by Jon Turney) While I was weighing up this album a recent, very long, interview Rick Beato posted with Pat Metheny […]