William James “Count” Basie (1904-1984) was one of the supreme jazz bandleaders in the great days of swing. A new 75-minute documentary about him, Count Basie Through His Own Eyes, will receive […]
Teodross Avery – Harlem Stories: The Music of Thelonious Monk (WJ3 1024. CD Review by Peter Vacher) This is the ninth ‘name’ album released by 47-year old Californian tenor saxophonist Teodross Avery; […]
Geoff Mason Quartet – GMQ (GM Records. CD review by Peter Vacher) Self-produced, with the CD in an open card sleeve and minus notes, this might easily be mistaken for a typical […]
Keith Oxman – Two Cigarettes In The Dark (Capri 74161-2. CD review by Peter Vacher) Tenor saxophonist Keith Oxman is a new name to me but not to Capri Records, for this […]
Christian McBride – The Movement Revisited: A Musical Portrait of Four Icons (Mack Avenue MAC 1082. CD review by Peter Vacher) The brilliant US bassist Christian McBride is something of a present-day […]
Echoes of Swing – Winter Days at Schloss Elmau (ACT 9105-2 CD Review by Peter Vacher) I’ve enjoyed a number of this long-established international quartet’s previous ACT releases. Their neat re-runs of […]
Swingin’ with Strings (Cadogan Hall, EFG London Jazz Festival 24 November 2019. Review by Peter Vacher) This year’s London Jazz Festival may well have been the biggest and best to date. Let the […]
Miles Davis 1959 – Porgy and Bess…Kind of Blue And More (Cadogan Hall, London, 21 September 2019. Review by Peter Vacher) Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so the old adage goes. Richard Pite’s Jazz Repertory […]
The latest of the Jazz Repertory Company’s Cadogan Hall recreations of defining moments in jazz brings an historic big band battle back to life. Pete Long explained its significance to Peter Vacher: […]
The Big Chris Barber Band (Cadogan Hall, London, 13 September 2019. Review by Peter Vacher) When Bob Hunt, the band’s trombonist and musical director, came out on stage it was to emphasize that […]
Walt Weiskopf European Quartet – Worldwide (Orenda Records ORENDA0065. Review by Peter Vacher) Tenorist Weiskopf is one of those top New York pros whose career has taken in the heady first-call local session […]
Mary Stallings – Songs Were Made To Sing (Smoke Sessions SSR-1903. CD review by Peter Vacher) Back in 1970, San Francisco-born vocalist Mary Stallings toured Britain with the Count Basie orchestra and […]
Kenny Barron Trio (Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. 4 August 2019. International Piano Trio Festival. Review by Peter Vacher) The standout booking for the club’s 2019 International Piano Trio Festival was this opening two-day […]
NEWS UPDATE: Since this piece was written Chris Barber has announced his permanent retirement. This concert will now be a celebration of his music. Sum up the Chris Barber story in five […]
Wood Street Jazz Festival (Wood Street Village, Surrey, 21 July 2019. Review by Peter Vacher) Picture this quintessentially English scene. A marquee is set up on an ample village green in the heart […]
