Bester Quartet – Piazzolla Angels

Poland’s For-Tune Records have been consistently releasing high-quality jazz and improv music for some time now, but their latest has a special place for me. This collection, with the exception of Por Una Cabeza (composed by Carlos Gardel) was composed by the inimitable Ástor Piazzólla and arranged Bester Quartet leader Continue Reading

Alex Malheiros – Tempos Futuros

The London-based record label Far Out Recordings is killing me a little these days!  I was honored to receive tracks from Alex Malheiros’ new album, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be picking it up on disc, but I loathe having to wait too long such treasures to come out.  Still, Continue Reading

Matthew Halsall – Salute to the Sun – Live at Hallé St. Peter’s

There’s not much to say about Matthew Halsall that hasn’t been thoroughly discussed over the past decade. He deserves the accolades, of course, but this live album is quite a treat. This is really going to appeal to fusion fans, especially Bitches Brew and Live-Evil-era Miles Davis, as well as Continue Reading

Gideon Nxumalo – Gideon Plays

Gideon Plays is apparently seen as a holy grail of South African jazz collectors.  Judging by the performance of pianist and maribist Gideon Nxumalo, this should be seen for what it is – a spiritual jazz masterpiece.  The album swings and grinds through eight tracks of bopping good music. Matsuli Continue Reading

John Coltrane – Coltrane ’58: The Prestige Recordings

As the Bandcamp site states, 1958 was John Coltrane’s breakout year, coming into his own after partnering so successfully with pianist Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, though his heroin addiction slowed his progress up considerably.  He is in fine condition musically in this 8-LP collection of his first recording session Continue Reading

Florian Arbenz, Hermon Mehari, Nelson Veras – Conversation #1: Condensed

Swiss drummer and percussionist Florian Arbenz was featured on our previous website, A Miscellany of Tasteful Music, some time in 2020 on a record he did with American saxophonist Greg Osby.  This album is equally as engaging. This slightly unusual line up of guitar, trumpet & drums might, at first Continue Reading