05 February 2025Top Scandi-US team, Neil Cowley and Koln Concert @ 50 set for Aberdeen Jazzfest
The all-star Scandinavian-American quartet Portable Infinity, pianist Neil Cowley’s trio, Jazz FM favourite, singer Georgia Cecile, and saxophonist Phil Bancroft’s new group, The Beautiful Storm are among the attractions announced for Aberdeen Jazz Festival 2025.
Running from Thursday 13th to Sunday 23rd March, the festival utilises established jazz venues including the Blue Lamp and the Lemon Tree as well as reaching into the local community with concerts at Bon Accord Baths and the Great Western Community Centre.
Portable Infinity brings together two leading Swedish musician – pianist Jacob Karlzon and former EST drummer Magnus Ostrom – with the outstanding American bassist Scott Colley and Danish saxophonist Benjamin Koppel to play at the Blue Lamp on Thursday 20th March.
The Neil Cowley Trio, who recently returned after a seven-year break with the enthusiastically received album, Entity, also appears at the popular Gallowgate venue, as do saxophonists Zhenya Strigalev, Matt Carmichael and Phil Bancroft and singer Niki King. Elsewhere pianist Brian Kellock duets with trumpeter Colin Steele and pianist Dorian Ford recreates Keith Jarrett’s groundbreaking Koln Concert in a 50th anniversary concert at Cowdray Hall on Sunday 23rd.
22 January 2025Saxophonist Molley releases Indo-jazz collaboration, Journeys
Saxophonist Brian Molley releases his fifth album, Journeys, on Friday 7th February.
Journeys features Molley's internationally acclaimed quartet in collaboration with the Asin Langa Ensemble from Northern India and was recorded in a custom-built studio in the heart of the Western Rajasthani desert.
Molley's quartet first performed alongside Asin’s group at RIFF in Jodhpur in 2015 as part of an extensive tour in India. The two groups blended perfectly, fusing Molley’s compositions with traditional Indian folk songs, and were rapturously received. A second collaboration during an extended trip to Rajasthan for Molley's group from Scotland, resulted in Journeys.
A former Jazzwise magazine One to Watch, Molley formed his quartet in 2012. Their enthusiastically received debut album, Clock was released the following year and was described by BBC Radio 3 as ‘a well-crafted and classy debut’.
Subsequent albums have included Colour and Movement, from 2017, Modern Traditions, from 2021, and 2022's Indo-European fusion collaboration with Indian percussionist Krishna Kishor, Intercontinental.
22 January 2025Live 1969 Surman recording set for release
Cuneiform Records release a double CD of recordings by veteran British saxophonist John Surman on January 31.
09 January 2025New Focus take The Classical Connection to the Conservatoire
New Focus - pianist Euan Stevenson and saxophonist Konrad Wiszniewski - take their The Classical Connection presentation to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on Friday 21st February as part of the RCS' Fridays at One programme.
An entertaining, informative and informal show, The Classical Connection highlights the characteristics shared by classical composers and jazz musicians. Music by Mozart, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin features and Stevenson and Wiszniewski illustrate the influence of Eric Satie on Miles Davis' classic Kind of Blue album and the inspiration pianist Bill Evans drew from Debussy.
The duo formed New Focus following a commission from Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival that celebrated the 50th anniversary of saxophone star Stan Getz's saxophone with strings album, Focus, in 2011.
They have since released two well received albums of original music and taken The Classical Connection to Perth Festival of the Arts and Lichfield Festival as well as to jazz venues across the UK.
30 November 2024Saxophonist Bancroft launches new band with album from down on the farm
Saxophonist Phil Bancroft launches his new trio, The Beautiful Storm with an album he recorded in the Ringo barn on his East Lothian farm.
Featuring guitarist Graeme Stephen and Delhi-based tabla master Gyan Singh, the trio merges two duos that Bancroft has worked with in recent years. He and Singh released the well received Birth & Death album earlier this year and Stephen, a long-time collaborator, has accompanied Bancroft on recent gigs.
The album is released on Monday 16th December on Bancroft's Myriad Streams platform.