The tour dates for A Hawk and A Hacksaw‘s latest LP – The Forest Bathing had been already announced. The band is for now an almost decade with an LM Dedication label and the last 3 LP recorded for them are nothing but the grow. Have a look at the venue list as it spreads nicely across the whole UK and there is a fair chance that you can make it. I will certainly do at the Con Club, Lewes. See you there.
04
Apr
[ April 2018 release from HUBRO – Slagr – DIRR ]
Norwegian release 16.02.2018
International release 13.04.18
The meditative music of Slagr – whose latest album, ‘DIRR’, was recorded and mixed by Andreas Mjøs of Jaga Jazzist, the producer of two previous Slagr albums – provides a portal for the imagination to roam free: a magical sound-world whose simple melodies and drones combine with an audio-palette of austere yet beautiful instrumental textures to provoke an infinite sense of openness capable of conveying a myriad of meanings.
30
Mar
[ LM Duplication – 13 April release – A Hawk and A Hacksaw – ” Forest Bathing”]
Forest Bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, is a term that means “taking in the forest atmosphere.” It was developed in Japan during the 1980s and has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine.
12
Mar
[ Jazzpress concert review: 10th of March /Pizza Jazz Club, London – Tom Arthurs Trio UK Record Launch @ Pizza Express, London (Lunchtime Concert) ]
Launch at lunchtime
I love the lunchtime gigs in Soho’s PJC as they simply take you out of the always busy London’s streets and give some break and privacy, time for reflection we all lack these days. This concert however, was more than that to me as it was the launch of the new Tom Arthur’s Trio recording called One Year, which I had a great honour to hear and review here.
08
Mar
[ Concert review: Veronika Harcsa & Balint Gyemant – 7th of March /Soho Pizza Jazz Club, London]
Veronika Harcsa & Balint Gyemant are both Hungarian artists with whom I am familiar from 2014, when they joined the Berlin based Traumton label, for which I continue reviewing for a good few years now. This was when they recorded their debut album called Lifelover for them which I had a pleasure to review. To make a long story short it was simply sensational, so since that I was hoping to experience it live sooner or later. Meanwhile, three years passed and it didn’t happen. The Duo came back with the following Tell Her, pretty much a year back from now and that also landed with me and got reviewed. But few things, luckily for us who are living in the UK, had changed.
06
Mar
[ 2018 Why Play Jazz – 30th of March release – Stefan Schultze Solo – “System Tribe “]
“System Tribe” is both an impressive statement and a convincing document of Schultze’s original, futuristic compositions and interpretations. He has created music that both challenges and rewards the listener. Now Schultze amazingly transfers his award-winning creativity to his debut album as soloist.
28
Feb
[ Why Play Jazz – 2nd of March release – Wanja Slavin Lotus Eaters – “Salvation” ]
Wanja Slavin (BMW World Jazz Award, Echo Jazz Award) presents his new album, “Salvation” with music that dazzles like the iridescent layers of a rainbow, evoking a radiance and authority – seven compositional gems with an orchestral feeling, rich tonal colors and sophisticated arrangements.
21
Feb
[ 5 Lessons that John Barlow Taught the World ]
This week, Grateful Dead lyricist and digital rights activist, John Perry Barlow passed away. Although we mourn the loss of a great visionary, we will forever remember his lessons of free speech, personal growth, and marketing tactics.
Here are five lessons we learned from the digital rights activist.
03
Feb
[ Ozella Music – 9th of February release – Tom Arthurs Trio – ” one Year” ]
Three years later, the music from that bout of intense creativity is now released in a new ensemble constellation that sees Arthurs expand his long-time duo with pianist Richard Fairhurst to a trio with the inclusion of Finnish percussionist Markku Ounaskari. Fragile and deep, mysterious and nocturnal, romantic and entrancing, it may be both Arthurs’ most quiet and intense effort.
01
Feb
[ Clean Feed 2nd of February release – Orquesta del Tiempo Perdido – “Stille” ]
The name of this project references Marcel Proust’s “In Search of Lost Time”, but that doesn’t prepare us for the music played on “Stille”. Orquesta del Tiempo Perdido is a wildly eclectic, ‘post- everything’ explosion, taking on aspects of contemporary classical music, jazz, experimental electro- acoustic, math-rock, pop, non-Western folklore, exotica and vaudeville. The points of reference are deftly approached on their own terms, and re-contextualised in impossible composites.