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

DOX

Drowned Circuits

Seven pieces of improvised music that are both adventurous and accessible, the balance between improvisation and structure continues to fascinate.

Emil Viklicky / Pavel Hruby

Live at Jazz Dock

John Donegan Trio with special guest Richie Buckley

Interfuse

Tom Ollendorff

Where In The World

Steve Lodder

2 Sorts Of 3

Tim Richards Trio

Four Aces

Dave Redmond

All in Motion

Jazz Mann Recommended Listening

Will Barnes Quartet

Outside The Light

The quartet’s most adventurous recording to date. Barnes’ writing is increasingly individual and distinctive, displaying a growing maturity and a genuine melodic and narrative awareness.

Anmol Mohara

Across The Sea

A very impressive debut from Mohara who excels both as an instrumentalist and a composer. The music is colourful and richly textured and embraces a variety of musical styles both eastern and western.

Alex Clarke Quartet

Out of the Woods

I’m often wary of ‘tribute albums’ such as this but this recording is a cut above the rest thanks to the intelligent writing and arranging and the quality of the playing from all involved.

Howl Quartet

Night Song

Collectively realised the compositions are intelligent, intriguing and centred around strong melodies, which the band then explore in consistently interesting ways.

Live Jazz Reviews

Eddie Parker’s Airborn

Eddie Parker’s Airborn, Music Spoken Here, The Marr’s Bar, Worcester, 11/12/2025.

Janette Mason

Janette Mason ReWired Trio, Jazz at Progress, Progress Theatre, Reading, Berkshire, 05/12/2025.

M. Haiux / Merope

M. Haiux / Merope, Sy ; Gigs, Unitarian Church, Shrewsbury, 06/12/2025.

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Jazz Ensemble

RWCMD Big Band - ‘A tribute to Quincy Jones’, Black Mountain Jazz, Melville Centre, Abergavenny, 30/11/2025.

Allexa Nava

Allexa Nava Quartet, Music Spoken Here, The Marr’s Bar, Worcester, 27/11/2025.

Ayra

Ayra, Pizza Express Live, Holborn, London, 20/11/2025 (Part of EFG London Jazz Festival).

Jazz Mann Features

BMJazz Katz, “Christmas in Sight”, Black Mountain Jazz, Melville Centre, Abergavenny, 07/12/2025.

A Yuletide celebration championing the work of Back Mountain Jazz's youth jazz ensemble the BMJazz Katz and their tutors, the BMJ Collective.

EFG London Jazz Festival 2025 - Day Ten, Sunday 23/11/2025.

Ian Mann on the final day of the Festival and performances by the Royal Academy Jazz Orchestra, Billy Marrows / Max Kahn Duo, Terje Isungset's Ice Quartet and Seb Rochford's Finding Ways.

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Jazz Gigs & Events

The Fabulous Speakeasy New Years Eve Party feat. The Fabulous Red Diesel at The Beacon, Hastings, Sussex.

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Dobet Gnahore and her musicians performing with the Estro Armonico Orchestra, Conducted by Gast Waltzing at Escher Theatre, Luxembourg.

Thursday, January 01, 2026