Back in stock: Jazz

Review: Cyrille Aimee has forged a formidable reputation as a jazz singer across the world, developing a tone which draws on her Dominican heritage as well as her guidance from the gypsy tradition in France where she grew up. While she's normally know for her arresting interpretations of standards and traditional classics, on A Fleur De Peau she's developed an album of her own material alongside NYC multi-instrumentalist Jake Sherman. Written in large part in the jungle in Costa Rica where she built her own home, Aimee developed her songs with Sherman's instrumental input resulting in a brilliantly varied and unflinchingly honest, open-hearted album which will make you re-evaluate everything you thought you knew about the finest of contemporary jazz singers.

Review: Ancient Infinity Orchestra is a 14-member jazz ensemble led by double-bassist and composer Ozzy Moysey, based in the bustling creative city of Leeds in the North of England. Their Gondwana Records debut 'River of Light' drinks deep from the well of spiritual jazz, finding special inspiration in the soulful sounds of Pharoah Sanders, Alice and John Coltrane - all of whom are mentioned in the brilliant track 'Pharoah Sings' - but also channels a certain Northern sensibility that can be heard in the music of Matthew Halsall or Alabaster de Plume. Melodic, warm and honest, this is music that is happy to wear its heart on its sleeve.

Review: Shabaka Hutchings' new label Native Rebel Recordings welcomes understated innovator and educator Chelsea Carmichael for a superb debut album. The River Doesn't Like Strangers is a fresh serving of innovative jazz that finally makes its way to vinyl and features plenty of her hypnotic and warm playing, smart improvisation and subtle sound work. Cultural powerhouse Shabaka Hutchings himself wrote a set of songs for the record which were then perfumed with Chelsea playing alongside Eddie Hick from Sons of Kemet, Dave Okumu from The Invisible and Tom Herbert from The Invisible and Polar Bear.

Review: Keyboardist Stale Storlokken leads the trio through six stellar compositions, showcasing hypnotic, magical, and razor-sharp polyrhythms. The album - the follow up to their acclaimed album Arrival of The New Elders - maintains the band's signature groovy mix of high-energy rock and power jazz while incorporating more structure and reflection and displaying a more diverse and mature approach. Recorded and mixed by producer Mattias Glava, Mythical River solidifies Elephant9's position as a contemporary, timeless and futuristic band.

Review: First released in 1970 and now reissued in conjunction with Light In The Attic and Future Days, Pete Jolly's Seasons first manifested on A&M Records as a series of live-composed melodies and textures, recalling the naturalisms of each passing season through their expression in jazz and funk. Starting naturally in spring before segueing into a verdant nature-scape, then briskly launching into a sandstorm, not long followed by an 'Autumn Festival' and an 'Indian Summer', the order of each season in Jolly's remit is not the same as their occurrence in reality; yet this is precisely what makes this early ambient, cool jazz opus so arresting; it's as though it came from another world.

Review: Pete Jolly's Seasons, first released in 1970, is an early example of, one could say,'"environmental' cool jazz and ambient music. Seasons never saw a significant commercial release, though they say that if one successfully articulates the spirit of the time, one is rewarded with fame regardless: the ensuing cult following in the years after felt almost inevitable, and now that its flames are being fanned again, we can say with surety that the West Coast jazz pianist and accordionist's efforts will continue to be rewarded once more. Cycling through each season in a jumbled order, yet revelling in every possible sensory twist and turn characteristic of each season, we're met with an album that not only straddles the jazz and pop worlds in unprecedented ways, but also serves a premonitory rendition of hip-hop; the album is a favourite sample source of such greats as Cypress Hill, Jay Dee and Busta Rhymes.

Review: Masayuki Takanayaga was a pioneering Japanese free jazz player who started his career in the early 50s. More than just a skilled guitarist, he boldly pushed into noise and free improvisation realms, perhaps best captured with the New Direction Unit group on this landmark album from 1975. Eclipse is a formidable experience in which Takanayaga and his group wrangle an incredible spectrum of tones from their instruments with a seemingly unbound attitude. It sets the tone for groups like No-Neck Blues Band and beyond - a masterful statement from a fearless innovator.

Review: The heady collaborative cocktail of Marc Collin and the late Olivier Libaux, who came together in 2003, led to the quiet storm that its Nouvelle Vague, a project with its heart set on a winner from the start: the fusion of post-punk songwriting with the form and instrumentation of bossa nova. Intended as a one-off, the success of the project came as a surprise, but the duo were hardly willing to let a good thing slide for the sake of dourer endeavours. As part of a retrospective, comprehensive reissues series on top of a new album, this repress of the first album takes us back to where it all began.

Review: Jeff Parker - best known as the longtime guitarist for the Chicago-based quintet Tortoise, and for being part of The New Breed - is one of the many jazz innovators in the International Anthem ranks, and as a result the Chicago based label has become one of the most innovative and essential out there in recent times. His own last album was in part responsible for that and now comes a follow up full player that is made up exclusively of his own solo guitar works. The composer and multi-instrumentalist draws on his love of Coltrane here as well as experimenting lots and pursuing ideas that took him outside of his comfort zone.

Review: Gregory Porter's beautifully buttery baritone has won him plenty of acclaim, fans, and Grammy nominations. How up to his sixth album, the jazz and soul singer is back to uplift you with his heart-felt, joyful celebrations. Of course, the whole affair is perfectly smooth and seductive, but also mighty powerful. Tracks like "Faith in Love" are string laced and upbeat songs to get a wedding crowd in a spin, "Long List Of Troubles" is a dramatic, dynamic jazz anthem and "Modern Day Apprentice" is a trend, stripped back song from, and to, the heart. This is another record that spans the ages in some style.

Review: Shut has been busy with a great series of reissues of Sun Ra's historic recordings in Egypt. All good things must come to an end, though, and so it does with The Sun Ra Arkestra meets Salah Ragab in Egypt which was recorded with help from the Cairo Jazz Band and first put out back in 1983 on Greek label Praxis. The Arkestra first met Salah Ragab at the home of Goethe Institut ex-pat Hartmut Geerken when they toured the island in December 1971 and later bonded again in 1983. It was then that they got together for these recordings where they played Ragab compositions, 'Egypt Strut' and 'Dawn' amongst others.

Review: The music that makes up Harmony of Difference, Kamasi Washington's first EP of note since the release of acclaimed 2015 album The Epic, was premiered live as a "six-track movement" earlier this year. The "suite" - here stretched across both sides of an essential 12" - sees Washington continue to explore the idea of what it means to be black in America in the 21st century. Musically, the EP contains some of his smoothest and most laidback compositions yet, with all his musical collaborators being on fine form. The headline attraction is undoubtedly 14-minute flipside "The Truth", an almost operatic jazz epic full of swelling choral contributions, fizzing drum solos, rising horns and, of course, plenty of Washington's distinctive saxophone.