Back catalogue: Jazz

Review: Sonny Clark's Cool Struttin' album is a jazz classic. The artist himself shone bright for a brief but intense period of creativity, much like greats before him such as Charlie Parker and Fats Navarro. His intricate playing and hard swing mentality makes for music filled with nuance and detail but sadly he never got the recognition he deserved during his short life (he died aged 31). He put out seven records in all on Blue Note and played with the likes of John Coltrane and Donald Byrd. This memorable session was recorded by Rudy Van Gelder and features a quintet made up of altoist Jackie McLean, trumpeter Art Farmer, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones.

Review: Sonny Clark was a truly elegant pianist who played with his own style of soul. On his My Conception full length he really reached the peak of his powers and for that reason it is the next in the on going Tone Poet reissue series by Blue Note. A big casts of sidemen feature on the record next to Clark including Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Donald Byrd on trumpet, Paul Chambers on bass and Art Blakey on drums. The record is packed with highlights such as the sombre trumpet of the title track and the fiery brilliance of 'Minor Meeting.'

Review: Dutch-born American jazz pianist and composer Gerald Clayton is back with a sixth album, his second on Blue Note. Ones & Twos is another exploration of jazz, hip-hop, neo-soul and raw improvisation that is all rooted in a deep conceptual framework. Featuring standout collaborators like Joel Ross, Elena Pinderhughes, Kendrick Scott and Kassa Overall, the album moves effortlessly from groove to abstraction and is inspired by turntablism, which is why Clayton created two sets of tracks that can play individually or simultaneously, blurring the line between harmony and dissonance. As rich as the sonics are, there is also real philosophical intent here, making it both a visceral and cerebral listen with layered commentary on collaboration, coexistence and creativity.

Review: Chicago rock band Wilco's guitarist - a highly prolific jazz maestro in his own right - brings us his latest full length album. A hypnotic groove anchors the lead single, propelling a hard-driving yet fluid interplay between guitar and saxophone. The composition brims with urgency, each phrase unfolding with elegant harmonic tension and a deep jazz sensibility. The quartet's chemistry is undeniable, balancing structured intensity with moments of free-flowing improvisation. Echoes of classic Blue Note recordings by Andrew Hill and Eric Dolphy surface in the phrasing, while the interplay recalls the front-line dynamism of Joe Lovano and John Scofield's collaborations. Yet, the sound remains singular, shaped by a deep appreciation for Brooklyn's improvised music scene. Across the album, the group explores a vast emotional and textural rangeiat times bracing and kinetic, elsewhere delicate and atmospheric. The rhythm section locks into compelling grooves, allowing melodies to breathe and evolve organically. The guitarist's mastery is evident, seamlessly shifting from shimmering chord voicings to fiery, exploratory runs. This is a love letter to both jazz tradition and the limitless potential of improvisation, where every note serves the collective momentum.

Review: There are few jazz albums as universally adored and significant as Blue Train. That's no exaggerated remark - it's a record imprinted on 20th Century culture, albeit just one of Coltrane's many incredible works. As part of their continued Tone Poets series, Blue Note are revisiting this landmark and giving it a grand presentation under the banner of The Complete Masters. That means, as well as the official recordings that make up Blue Train, we're also treated to a second disc of additional takes which give you a whole new perspective on these eternal treasures, from a false start of 'Blue Train' to multiple takes on 'Moment's Notice' and 'Lazy Bird'.

Review: All aboard the blue 'Trane! one of the many albums that cemented Blue Note and John Coltrane's longstanding working relationship, 'Blue Train' is the saxophonist's second studio album and the only recording with Coltrane taking the role of bandleader. This version comes with several alternate, false starts and incomplete takes, owing to the single-take tradition of jazz recording back in the late 1950s.