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

Robert Castelli

Resonant Alien - Live at The Black Cat, Belgium

Strong melodies are combined with equally strong grooves to create music that is both adventurous and accessible. There’s no better place to hear Boom! Quartet than in the live environment.

Danny Keane

Kinesis

Jon Lloyd Quartet

Anima

Al Swainger’s Pointless Beauty

Impure Imagination

Sam Newbould

One Day We’ll Have A Window

Ruta Di

Onwards & Upwards

Eddie Parker’s Airborn with Rob Luft

Airborn

Jazz Mann Recommended Listening

Nicolas Meier World Group

Elysian Drift

Meier has been developing his pan-cultural approach to jazz for the past twenty years and this latest release is arguably his most brilliantly realised album yet. Highly recommended.

James Chadwick Project

Walrws - 60s Pop Classics with a Jazz Twist

The arrangements are subtle, intelligent and imaginative, respectful of the originals and skilfully adapting the songs to a jazz aesthetic without sacrificing anything in terms of melody and beauty.

Kjetil Mulelid

Piano, Unfolding

Finds Mulelid honing his approach to the solo piano format. A frequently beautiful album that has the potential to appeal to a large number of open minded listeners.

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.

Live Jazz Reviews

Aurelius

Aurelius, Kidderminster Jazz Club, St. Ambrose’s Parish Centre, Kidderminster, Worcs., 06/11/2026.

Christoph Gallio / Dominic Lash / Mark Sanders

Christoph Gallio / Dominic Lash / Mark Sanders, Hafan Yr Afon, Newtown, Powys, 01/11/2026.

Olie Brice Quartet

Olie Brice Quartet, Jazz at Progress, Progress Theatre, Reading, Berkshire, 23/10/2026.

Los Diablos Ritmicos

Los Diablos Ritmicos, Black Mountain Jazz, Melville Centre, Abergavenny, 25/10/2026.

Tristan Banks

Tristan Banks Quartet, Music Spoken Here, The Marr’s Bar, Worcester, 22/10/2026.

Deirdre Cartwright

Deirdre Cartwright ‘Organik’ Trio, Brecon Jazz Club, The Muse Arts Centre, Brecon, 13/10/2026.

Jazz Mann Features

Jammin’ Juan, Palais des Congress, Antibes Juan-les-Pins, 29th and 30th October 2026

Guest contributor Colin May enjoyed the musical diversity of the twelve acts playing showcases on the 2026 Jammin' Juan programme and has provided brief summaries of all the performances.

Sunday at Wall2Wall Jazz Festival, various venues, Abergavenny, 27/09/2026.

Ian Mann enjoys a series of performances on the free Community Sunday Afternoon Jazz Trail plus a concert by the duo of vocalist Jo Harrop and guitarist Jamie McCredie.

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Jazz Gigs & Events

‘TonRaum’ - An Exhibition & Collaborative Project between Composer/Sound Designer Barry Edwards & Ceramicist Claudia Lis at Ruthin Craft Centre, Ruthin, Denbighshire.

Saturday, September 26, 2026 - Sunday, January 10, 2027

NUEJAZZ Festival,various venues, Nuremberg, Germany.

Friday, October 23, 2026 - Wednesday, November 11, 2026

TD James Moody Jazz Festival 2026 at New Jersey Performing Arts Centre (NJPAC), Newark, New Jersey, USA.

Friday, November 06, 2026 - Sunday, November 22, 2026

Back to Black 20th Anniversary featuring Cali Rivlin and Robin Bannerjee at Toulose Laurec Jazz Club, Kennington, London.

Saturday, November 07, 2026 - Sunday, November 08, 2026

Natasha Watts at Swansea Jazz Club, Langland’s Brasserie, Swansea,

Sunday, November 08, 2026

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