Tag: jazz
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Thundercat live at O2 City Hall review – virtuoso bassist goes full jazz fusion
Thundercat may be one of the world’s most respected bassists, but in this exhausting set of samey solos his technical wizardry was largely lost to City Hall’s booming acoustics. Alex Walden and Bertie Kirkwood jointly report.
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Abel Selaocoe live at Boiler Shop review – fiery cello beats come filled with love
No Bach Preludes were to be found here, just consistently thrilling African beats propelled by Selaocoe’s fierce bowing and awesome throat singing. In between show-stopping dance numbers and a spellbinding percussion solo, it was the audience participation that lifted this gig towards something spiritual.
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KNOWER: KNOWER FOREVER review – a grand return for the LA duo
Louis Cole, Genevieve Artadi and an incredible collection of collaborators have crafted an album elevated far above any of their past music, shaping a promising future for the electronic funk duo, writes Matthew Rowe.
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Laufey: Bewitched review – the finest yet from vocal jazz revivalist
A breathtaking title track is the climactic highlight of the Icelandic-Chinese artist’s second album, packed with enough gorgeous melodies and intricate orchestration to singlehandedly spur the revival of an entire genre.
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Nujabes: The growing legacy of the ‘Godfather of Lo-fi’
A favourite for hardworking students the world over, the relaxing tones of lo-fi hip hop make it a hidden giant of the music industry. Alex Walden traces the origins of the genre through its underappreciated founding father Nujabes and gets to the bottom of the unlikely link with anime.
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Fergus McCreadie Trio live at Sage Gateshead review – overlong wanderings through Scottish wilderness
In front of a room full of attentive followers in the Sage, McCreadie’s trio indulged in expansive tangents away from the source material that only occasionally struck gold, although the technical ability and telepathic musicianship displayed throughout were undeniably immense.
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Parthenope live at the Wardrobe review – the newest star of UK jazz
Returning to Leeds for a one-off homecoming, the Guildhall jazzer’s set was rough around the edges but oozed with potential. Aided by a stellar trio of groove-makers, Parthenope’s dexterity on saxophone in particular is already dazzling.
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Herbie Hancock live at Jazz à Vienne review – world class musician meets world class venue
On a memorable warm summer’s night in Vienne, Herbie Hancock found himself a spectacular venue to deliver one remarkable rendition of his famous compositions after another. Jazz’s answer to Paul McCartney, the 82-year-old remains the unparalleled titan of his genre.
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Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox live at O2 Academy review – good old-fashioned fun
On a night of covers that could have easily flopped, Postmodern Jukebox rightly leaned into the inevitable cheese with ample vintage glamour. In the end it was impossible not to be won over by the sheer joy of the performances, all held together by a top-notch batch of touring musicians.