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

Ben Crosland Quintet

North York Skies

The album is chock full of melodic, intelligent and highly evocative compositions and both the soloing and the overall ensemble playing is superlative throughout. A candidate for his best album yet.

Joshua Cavanagh-Brierley

The Mild Mannered and the Mortal

Deirdre Cartwright

Organik

Kevin Figes

Wallpaper Music III

Luke Bainbridge

Petstep

Linus Eppinger & Sam Braysher

A Sinner Kissed an Angel

Trish Clowes’ My Iris

Try Me

Jazz Mann Recommended Listening

Brian Molley Quartet

Tùs/Origin

Maintains the high standard of playing and writing that has distinguished Molley’s previous albums, with the current line-up of the quartet particularly well suited to this project.

Sam Green

Rivers and Lakes

An impressive debut from Green. His writing is intelligent, atmospheric, and exhibits a strong sense of narrative and sense of place, plus a distinctive group sound.

Guido Spannocchi Quartet

Kammermusik

An immersive and frequently beautiful listening experience. Although less immediate than much of Spannocchi’s previous work this intriguing and beguiling album is definitely something of a ‘grower’.

Martin Speake Big Band

Hidden Vision – the arrangements of Charlie Rees

A triumph for both Martin Speake and Charlie Rees, a superb demonstration of Speake’s abilities as both a composer and instrumentalist and Rees’ as an arranger.

Live Jazz Reviews

BMJ Collective with Jim Blomfield

BMJ Collective with Jim Blomfield, Black Mountain Jazz, Melville Centre for the Arts, Abergavenny, 16/08/2026.

Courtney Pine

Courtney Pine Quartet, Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon, 06/08/2026 (Part of Brecon Jazz Festival).

The Fezz

The Fezz play the music of Steely Dan, Black Mountain Jazz, Melville Centre, Abergavenny, 26/07/2026.

Pat Metheny

Pat Metheny Side Eye III +, Barbican Centre, London, 19/07/2026.

BMJ Collective with Fabienne Ambuehl

BMJ Collective with Fabienne Ambuehl, Black Mountain Jazz, Melville Centre for the Arts, Abergavenny, 12/07/2026.

Josephine Davies

Josephine Davies Satori Quartet, Shrewsbury Jazz Network, The Hive Music & Media Centre, Shrewsbury, 11/07/2026.

Jazz Mann Features

Miles Davis Centenary, BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall, London, 20th August 2026.

Colin May enjoys the 'Miles Davis Prom', performed by the Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet with the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Miho Hazama.

Sunday at Brecon Jazz Festival, 09/08/2026.

Ian Mann enjoys the final day of the Festival and performances by Hot Club Gallois, Jon Crespo, Ferg's Imaginary Big Band, Jack Pearce Quintet, Dave Jones' Trunk of Funk, Jacqui Dankworth Quartet.

Jazz Mann News

Kidderminster Jazz Club announces new shows for 2027.

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Kidderminster Jazz Club has announced two new shows for 2027 with Art Themen visiting in February and Sara Oschlag in March. Full details attached.

Wall2Wall Jazz Festival, Abergavenny - Line-up announced.