Jazz Re:freshed Vinyl & CDs

Review: Bassist Daniel Casimir is not well known outside of hardcore British jazz circled but he should be. Part fo the reason for the is because he is a bassist, which is not one of the more cerated parts of any band, but he does it better than most, and has played on all of tenor saxophonist Nubya Garcia's records up to now. His new album Boxed In is an eleven-track suite that sees him step out of the shadows as part of an acoustic quintet alongside the likes of Garcia and Moses Boyd. It is influenced by film and television soundtrack music and makes for a thrilling listen.

Review: Gadiaga, a rising star in the UK music scene, brings a fresh and captivating blend of old-school jazz tradition and modern rootsy sounds in her latest release, All Black Everything. Drawing from her Senegalese, Gambian, and Malian heritage, Gadiaga's music resonates with authenticity and vitality. Influenced by legends like Betty Carter and Stevie Wonder, she crafts a unique style that captivates audiences and critics alike. Through her soulful voice and compelling lyrics, Gadiaga explores themes of individuality, struggle and empowerment. All Black Everything serves as a poignant expression of her personal journey, celebrating the strength found in embracing one's uniqueness. With appearances at renowned festivals and support from influential platforms like Jazz FM and BBC Radio, Gadiaga's star continues to rise, cementing her status as a significant new voice in contemporary music. This album is a big reason why and should win over any listener.

Review: Oumuamua is the new album from Golden Mean, who might have impressed you as much as they impressed us with their first EP Through Walls. This outing London's vital Jazz Re:freshed finds drummer Jamie Murray join the group made up of Tom Driessler (who has played with Yussef Kamaal), Luke Wynter and Lyle Barton. Between them they serve up a scintillating trip to the stars on soaring melodies and driving grooves that take cues from scenes like prog-rock, jazz and plenty in between. Though retro synths appear, it is a forward thinking sound full of busy solo improvisation that fits in with the greats of the genre from the 70s onwards.

Review: Since her 2019 joint LP These Days with Daniel Casimir on jazz re:freshed, Tess Hirst has been crafting her debut solo album which now finally sees the light of day. It features Richard Spaven on drums, Sarah Tandy on piano, and Tomorrow's Warriors StringTing, all under the production and arrangement of Casimir, who also plays various basses. Magic celebrates inspiring women and pays tribute to Hirst's West London roots with a lead single that embodies resilience, while 'A Seed' transforms challenges into beauty, 'Reckoning' is smoky downtempo bliss with Hirst's ethereal voice always the main attraction.

Review: British Bantu visual artist and musician Zola Marcelle shares her debut album, an ingenious ten-track record of ancestral musings, ethereal sound-dreamscapes and narrative vignettes, informed by soul, broken beat, and the musics of Zimbabwean Shona and South African Sotho. A riveting journey back through bloodlines and future-past hopes, Marcelle brings an impressively playful vocal and etheric attitude; opener 'Highlight' is an invitingly tender funky jazz primer, against which Zola speaks, outlining eternally recursive goals for life; the latter half of the record is more quelling, with 'Kgotso' building on the Sotho word for "stillness" to convey the later feeling of loitering in God's waiting room, while the B-side builds 'Saturn Drive' and 'Beyond' circle back to softly intoned Afro-beatifics.

Review: A decade after it first surfaced on CD and digital, Kaidi Tatham's superb contribution to Jazz:Refreshed's now legendary 5ive series of mini-albums has finally made it onto vinyl. We don't expect these to hang around in stock too long, in part because it's one of the most consistently on-point and musically expansive sets in Tatham's vast catalogue - and that's saying something. For proof, check the soulful bruk-up business of 'To My Surprise' (reminiscent of the best of the collective Bugz in the Attic project he was a big part of), the fluid, spiritual jazz-funk brilliance of opener 'Don't Hide Your Love' and the expansive, up-tempo excellence of 'Organic Juggernaut', where fluttering flutes, squelchy bass and sparkling pianos catch the ear.

Review: Trombonist and producer Rosie Turton is the latest rising star of jazz to be offered a volume in Jazz re:freshed's 5ive series of EPs. Her volume, which like its predecessors boasts a quintet of original compositions, is very different to its predecessors, mixing bustling jazz instrumentation (drums, trombone and sax, piano, double bass) with wild and free violin solos, occasional electronics and the odd bout of spoken word poetry. There's much to enjoy throughout, with highlights including the lolloping, hip-hop influenced swing of "Butterfly", the gentle Latin rhythms, electric piano solos and languid bass of "Orange Moon", and the soundscape ambient jazz bliss of "Stolen Ribs". As solo debuts go, it's a bit of a doozy.