20 March 2026Bassist David Bowden flies solo on Unsung Songs
Award-winning double bassist David Bowden releases a solo bass album, Unsung Songs, on Friday 10th April.
Best known as a crucial member of pianist Fergus McCreadie’s internationally acclaimed, Mercury Prize-nominated trio, Glasgow-based Bowden is a former Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year and an in-demand bass player on the Scottish jazz and folk scenes.
Having successfully led the seven-piece world jazz ensemble Mezcla, Bowden found himself seeking a new creative challenge in the summer of 2023. He began developing repertoire for solo double bass - music that would place the instrument centre stage. Following a first solo gig at Glasgow Jazz Festival in 2024, the music on Unsung Songs was developed through a series of further solo performances at jazz festivals across Scotland and refined in studio sessions.
The album draws on a rich spectrum of influences spanning jazz, folk and contemporary singer-songwriters. Alongside Bowden’s original compositions, it features reimagined songs by Nick Drake, Emilíana Torrini and mandolinist Chris Thile.
A key starting point for the project was a deep dive into vocal music. By transcribing and playing along with singers, Bowden absorbed the nuances of phrasing and articulation, aiming to translate the expressive flexibility of the human voice onto the double bass. Combined with inspiration from solo recordings by Jorge Roeder, Larry Grenadier and John Patitucci - as well as the intimacy and texture of guitar music - this approach shaped a melodic, chordal language that defines Unsung Songs.
“I wanted to discover what I could express on the instrument while making music that’s approachable,” says Bowden. “My aim would be to make music that anyone can enjoy, with no prior knowledge needed.”
“When I’ve written music for other ensembles, I’ve always put the other musicians at the forefront, as is natural for a bass player,” he adds. “Playing solo, there’s no hiding place, which pushes you to approach the instrument in a different way. It’s a rewarding challenge to combine melodic phrasing, chordal accompaniment and groove playing – all through the one instrument.”
Unsung Songs was recorded over four sessions between 2024 and 2026 at Solas Sound in Glasgow with engineer Gus Stirrat, with additional guidance from New York-based bassist Or Bareket.
“I didn’t have a traditional producer, but Gus has been a close collaborator and a brilliant sounding board - as a bassist himself, his feedback was invaluable,” Bowden says. “Or Bareket helped me refine my technique to meet the demands of playing solo bass. I’m looking forward to sending the album out into the world. I see it as a collection of songs -not just solo bass pieces - where the bass becomes the voice. The music captures exactly how I felt at the time of recording.”
08 March 2026Monty Alexander and Cécile McLorin Salvant head up leading French festival
Pianist Monty Alexander, vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, guitarist Marc Ribot and saxophonists Melissa Aldana and Trygve Seim are among the musicians confirmed for Jazz sous les pommiers in Normandy in May.
Now in its forty-fifth year, Jazz sous les pommiers will take over the cathedral city of Coutances from May 8 to 16 and has become renowned as one of Europe’s taste-making festivals.
A strong programme of French attractions complements musicians with international reputations and shops, bars, restaurants and doorways come alive with the sound of jazz in its myriad styles.
Supporting attractions include superb food and not surprisingly for a festival called “jazz under the apple trees” the local cider – regarded as “champagne made with apples” is worth the journey in itself.
25 February 2026Saxophonist Molley explores jazz's Scottish roots with Tùs/Origin
Saxophonist Brian Molley releases his sixth album, Tùs/Origin, on Friday 20th March.
One of Scottish jazz's most travelled musicians, Molley follows two albums featuring collaborations with Indian musicians, by exploring links closer to home on his latest release.
Tùs/Origin began with a show that Molley premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024. From the folk traditions of the Outer Hebrides to a Louisiana gospel stomp via fugue, jig and hoedown in a through-composed suite, it follows a journey that suggests that the Scottish influence on the development of jazz is a lot stronger than we all might think.
The first Scottish immigrants to travel to Canada and America shared their folk songs on their journeys, including a uniquely Scottish musical tradition known as call-and-response line-singing. This way of making music would become a core element in the development of jazz and popular music. Molley’s research also included the work of prominent 19th century abolitionist and frequent visitor to Scottish shores, Frederick Douglass, who is celebrated in several of the album's tracks.
Tùs/Origin features Molley’s long-time musical partner, Tom Gibbs on piano and David Bowden (bass) and Stephen Henderson (drums) from pianist Fergus McCreadie's trio.
The album is released on Molley’s own label, BGMM Records, and will be available on CD as well as high quality downloads.
19 February 2026Saxophonist Laura Macdonald appointed Head of Jazz at the RCS
Saxophonist Laura Macdonald has been appointed Head of Jazz at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. Ayrshire-born Macdonald, who had been filling the role on an interim basis over the past few months, brings experience in education and as an international bandleader, composer and recording artist.
From a musical family, she took up the alto saxophone at the age of sixteen and became a regular member of Strathclyde Youth Jazz Orchestra before moving to Boston, Massachusetts to study at Berklee College of Music.
She recorded her first album, Laura, with drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, bassist James Genus and pianist David Budway and later led a sextet which included saxophonist Donny McCaslin and drummer Antonio Sánchez. McCaslin would go on to work with David Bowie during his final recordings and Sánchez became the regular drummer with guitarist Pat Metheny.
Back in Scotland, Macdonald featured in the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, led her own band and co-led a group with Swedish drummer Martina Almgren. She has also recorded with New York-based pianist David Berkman and worked in duos and small groups with guitarist Kevin Mackenzie. She won the Instrumentalist of the Year title at the Scottish Jazz Awards in 2021.
Professor Aaron Shorr, Director of Music at the RCS, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured such a wonderful artist and teacher as Laura to lead the Jazz Programme. Laura has a distinguished international performance and recording career and has also been a highly valued member of teaching faculty here at RCS since 2022. We look forward very much to the development of the Jazz programme under her leadership.”
21 January 2026Saxophonist Oscar Lavën unleashes Elegant Calamity
Saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Oscar Lavën releases Elegant Calamity, the follow-up to his internationally admired debut, Questions in Red, on Thick Records on Friday 16th January 2026.
An effervescent presence on New Zealand’s currently vital jazz scene, Lavën (pronounced Lah-venn) is a double graduate from the New Zealand School of Music and brings his degrees in jazz and classical music to bear on both the music and the personnel featured on Elegant Calamity.
“I wrote Elegant Calamity in pursuit of a sound that allows the personalities of the eclectic mix of musicians to shine through,” he says. “These players represent different corners of the vibrant New Zealand art music scene and I hope listeners around the globe will be able to appreciate this through this album.”
Bringing together string players alongside woodwinds, brass and a five-piece rhythm section, Lavën has produced what he describes as “music that blends forward-facing boldness with a certain shade of cinematic nostalgia”.
Influences including trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie’s Afro-Cuban experiments, Ennio Morricone’s atmospheric film soundtracks and bandoneon master Astor Piazzolla’s nuevo tango can be detected, as can the sophistication of Duke Ellington’s jazz orchestra and bassist Charles Mingus’ mighty gospel-infused excitement.
The compositions were made possible through trumpeter Michael Costeloe’s groundbreaking Jazz Orchestra Composer Series, which offers musicians both freedom to create imaginatively and a platform to perform. Elegant Calamity was recorded live at the intimate Bedlam & Squalor venue in Wellington with the audience needing little encouragement to become involved. It was engineered and mastered by Alistair Isdale.
“This was a very spirited, joyful process from beginning to end,” says Lavën. “I hope people will enjoy listening to Elegant Calamity as much as we enjoyed playing it."