The Jazz Mann | Jazz music reviews and news from the Jazz Mann Ian Mann

Winner of the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Media, 2019

Jazz Album Reviews

The Mark Williams Trio

Long Way Out

Combining jazz and rock influences this is a particularly intelligent brand of ‘fusion’ that makes for very rewarding listening. This threesome find a lot to say within the format of the guitar trio.

Lars Danielsson / Verneri Pohjola / John Parricelli

Trio

Hattie Whitehead

Bloom

Number Junky

Birak

Playtime

Morse Code Through The Lights

John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

We Will Meet Again, Sometime

Julian Arguelles

Doublespeak

Jazz Mann Recommended Listening

Kevin Lawlor

The Island

Once again Lawlor impresses with the quality of both his playing and writing. There are some strong melodic themes and all are well served by the members of an exceptional international quartet.

Patrick Naylor

Organza

Although recognisably in the lineage of the jazz organ trio tradition Naylor's group also brings a very contemporary sensitivity to the music. This is expressed via the intelligent original writing.

John-Paul Muir

Home Now

A convincing artistic statement from Muir that showcases several sides of his impressive all round musical talent.

Josephine Davies

Satori : Weatherwards

Intelligently written music that is readily accessible and often beautiful, but also subtly challenging. "Weatherwards" confirms the high level of creativity that Satori is capable of.

Live Jazz Reviews

Karim Saber Quintet

Karim Saber Quintet minus one Oxford University Jazz Society at the Mad Hatter, Oxford, 12/02/2025.

Eddie Gripper / Alex Clarke Quartet

Eddie Gripper / Alex Clarke Quartet, Black Mountain Jazz, Melville Centre, Abergavenny, 16/02/2025.

Impossible Conversations

Impossible Conversations, Music Spoken Here, The Marr’s Bar, Worcester, 13/02/2025.

Matheus Prado Trio

Matheus Prado Trio, ‘A Night in Rio’, Brecon Jazz Club, The Muse Arts Centre, Brecon,11/02/2025.

BMJ Collective with Gethin Liddington

BMJ Collective with Gethin Liddington Celebrate the Gerry Mulligan-Chet Baker Quartet, Black Mountain Jazz, Melville Centre, Abergavenny, 09/02/2025.

Brandon Allen Quintet

Brandon Allen Quintet, ‘Some Kinda Mean – The Music of David ‘Fathead’ Newman’, Shrewsbury Jazz Network, The Hive Music & Media Centre, Shrewsbury, 08/02/2025.

Jazz Mann Features

Double Bill Sunday at Black Mountain Jazz, Abergavenny featuring the Ross Hicks Trio “Three Elms” album launch and the Patrick Barrett-Donlon Quartet’s “Leading From The Back”.

Guest contributor Debs Hancock, with help from other audience members, on this double bill showcasing two distinctive performances by outstanding young jazz musicians based in Wales.

Fifth Annual Bath Jazz Weekend, Widcombe Social Club, Bath, Sunday 5th January 2025.

Ian Mann enjoys the final day of the Weekend and performances by Ribbons (Sara Colman & Rebecca Nash), Sarost (Mark Sanders, Paul Rogers, Larry Stabbins), and the Huw Warren / Angharad Jenkins Duo.

Jazz Mann News

Aidan Thorne / Jason Ball Duo ‘Archwilio’r Traddodiad : Exploring The Tradition’, Spring Tour of Wales , February / March 2025.

Saturday, February 22, 2025

South Wales based musicians Aidan Thorne (double bass) and Jason Ball (guitar) will tour Wales in support of their new jazz / folk album "Archwilio’r Traddodiad : Exploring The Tradition".

Kings Place, King’s Cross, London - Programme for April 2025.

Friday, February 21, 2025

King Place has announced its music programme for April 2025 featuring jazz, folk, classical, contemporary classical and spoken word performances. Press release attached.

Avishai Cohen -new album and US tour, March 2025.

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Trumpeter Avishai Cohen, who hasn't toured the US in five years, performs at select cities in March 2025 in support of new album Ashes to Gold, which was released in October 2024 on ECM.

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