During the course of Larry Coryell’s long and storied career, the jazz-fusion guitarist has ventured into nearly every corner of the musical world. But on his most recent collaboration with The Wide Hive Players, Coryell returns to his roots to deliver his most brilliant work in years. Reminiscent of the...

From a remarkably youthful beginning, Will Holland has been startlingly omnivorous in his musical tastes. Operating as Quantic, his talents as a producer, multi-instrumentalist, tunesmith and all-round maven have produced a hugely impressive body of work. Now, after a decade’s output for the Tru Thoughts label, it’s time to...

Perhaps more than any other popular music, jazz allows â€" even expects â€" new talents to reproduce the stylistic innovations of past decades. Rock, funk and hip hop all make appearances from time to time â€" but the young jazz musician usually returns to the straightforward acoustic style of past...

When Ry Cooder recorded his first two albums, collections of songs by the likes of Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie that evoked the desperate times of the Great Depression, he could scarcely have imagined that 40 years later he’d be singing of the same old problems, but...

There is an undeniable thrill upon hearing the delectable voice of Doris Day once again. Technically flawless, infallibly seductive in tone, it’s hard to think of another singer of her era who offers the listener such unadulterated pleasure.

Among the 12 tracks here are reminders of her work in the...

Released in January 1974, Joni Mitchell’s sixth album was her bridge of sighs between folk-rock singer-songwriter and neo-jazz experimentalist. After the successes of Blue and For the Roses, she spent most of 73 crafting it; yet for all the exquisite musicality of her band (guests included Crosby...

If ever a record knew its worth, it was Aja, the sixth album by Steely Dan. Released in late 1977 when half the world seemed to be down the disco and the other half were pogo-ing, here came an album that oozed detached sophistication, using every trick that keyboard...

The Undivided may have only been together for just over a year but already they have played around the UK alongside plenty of names that make the eyebrows raise a little like Ash, My Vitriol and The Xcerts and on this evidence they do fit in nicely with bands of...

In addition to creating thoughtful yet bruising instrumental rock, the players in Garage A Trois â€"drummer Stanton Moore, keyboardist Marco Benevento, vibraphonist Mike Dillon and saxophonist Skerik â€"sure know how to title an album. Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil, the name of Garage A Trois’ fourth proper full-length, perfectly...

With an excess of review fodder dropping through the mail slot on a daily basis, it is always heartening to be presented with a release that does not fit neatly into standard categories. And the debut long player from Submotion Orchestra definitely is out on a limb of its...