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

Hilary Geddes Quartet

Redleaf

The music of “Redleaf” is difficult to categorise (as is always the best way) but it is richly evocative and superbly played, striking a good balance between composition and improvisation.

OK Aurora

Hope

Hannah Horton

Stories on the Wind

Tomos Williams’ Cwmwl Tystion

Cwmwl Tystion III / Empathy

Julian Arguelles

Echo Fields

Transatlantic Hot Club

Un P’tit Gout de Myrte

Niklas Lukassen

Still Waters

Jazz Mann Recommended Listening

Five-Way Split

Modus Operandi

An impressive second outing from Five Way Split. Although very much rooted in the hard bop tradition the original writing is intelligent and also surprisingly subtle in terms of colour and texture.

Shai Maestro

The Guesthouse

Maestro’s sense of adventure and his willingness to embrace a variety of musical styles is something to be celebrated. Overall “The Guesthouse” represents a brave and distinctive artistic statement.

Taupe

waxing / waning

A quite glorious racket, a thrillingly visceral musical ride. Taupe marshal their uncompromising music with skill, conviction & imagination & the playing is crisp, crunching & razor sharp throughout.

Jazz Sabbath

Jazz Sabbath Live

A very welcome souvenir of the Jazz Sabbath live experience. Listening to the music in the home environment heightens one’s appreciation of just how clever Wakeman’s arrangements are.

Live Jazz Reviews

Cécile McLorin Salvant

Cécile McLorin Salvant, ‘Booke of Ayres’, The Sohmen Concert Hall, The Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, University of Oxford, 29/05/2026.

Tomos Williams Quintet

Tomos Williams Quintet, ‘ 7 Steps, The Music of Miles Davis’, Black Mountain Jazz, Melville Centre for the Arts, Abergavenny, 31/05/2026.

Tomorrow’s New Quartet

Tomorrow’s New Quartet, Music Spoken Here, The Marr’s Bar, Worcester, 28/05/2026.

Yellowjackets

Yellowjackets, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Soho, London, 22/05/2026.

BMJ Collective with Gareth Williams

BMJ Collective with Gareth Williams, Back Mountain Jazz, Melville Centre for The Arts, Abergavenny, 17/05/2026.

Mark Lockheart Shapeshifter Trio

Mark Lockheart Shapeshifter Trio, Music Spoken Here, The Marr’s Bar, Worcester, 14/05/2026.

Jazz Mann Features

Mid Wales Rhythm & Blues Club, ‘12th Birthday Bash’, The Muse, Brecon, 16/05/2026.

Mid Wales Rhythm & Blues Club celebrates its 12th anniversary with five different performances from Paul Keddle & Friends, Elsie Franklin, Jo & Tim Carley, Terraplane Blues Duo and the Jon Amor Trio

A year with our Nord.

Dave Fuller of Music Spoken Here, Worcester celebrates the first anniversary of the Club's acquisition of a Nord Stage 4 keyboard, purchased with the generous financial assistance of Sumir Karayi.

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