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It was a delight to hear Niklas Lukassen  with a (nearly) new quartet delivering his album, ‘Still Waters’ at its UK launch. Neame, Slavin, Lukassen. Maddren Niklas was joined by an absolutely superb group of musicians, including Wanja Slavin, one of the two sax players on Still Waters.  Their mastery of Lukassen’s complex and dynamic compositions was matched by Ivo Neame (bass) and James Maddren (drums) on top form. It was great to hear a slightly different version of the album tracks and to see Niklas’s truly brilliant and inventive bass playing in person. Read my review of the album here . Intent concentration throughout from Niklas I last saw Maddren with Julian Arguelles at the 606 Club (read my review here ) and my next task is to hear his trio with Niklas and Gwilym Simcock (who was also on the Arguelles gig). Still Waters  is on Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Heartcore Records . He also adds guitar to some of the tracks. The more pared-down version of the tracks was highly effective live and added a different flavour and textures. Although Slavin was obviously having problems with leaky pads or sticky keys on his alto sax at the Vortex, his playing is extraordinary - another new discovery for me. These intuitive players produced dynamic textures and rhythmic complexity that had a freedom rare in ensembles that are not used to performing regularly together. Neame’s piano improvisations particularly had an impetus of their own, responding delightfully to motifs from bass and sax.   As well as tunes from Still Waters , the quartet performed new work from the follow-up album that has yet to be recorded. Indeed, Day by Day  was only finished hours before the gig: it’ll be interesting to see how that tune evolves. Slavin’s sax worked particularly well on Karma , adapting the album arrangement that uses two saxes. I’m not sure how often he has worked with Neame or Maddren, but you would have been forgiven for thinking that the quartet has a long history. Niklas’s compositions, arrangements and band leading are exemplary: another London gig that brought together jazz musicians and influences from around the world. ‘ Still Waters ’ is out now: please check out live dates  to see where you can buy the album direct

Taking a cheeky cue from Edward Elgar, Julian Arguelles  has dedicated his new album - ‘Echo Fields’ - to “my friends pictured within”: there is definitely a sense of acknowledging the giants he has known and played with. There is a touching sense of completeness in holding a copy of Echo Fields  in my hand, as there was in seeing Julian live at the 606 Club (you can r ead my review here ). The reference to Elgar comes alongside track 5 - Nimrod  - which is Arguelles’ own arrangement of the Variation IX (Adagio) from the Enigma Variations. This is a lovely rendition, with the recognisable melody adapted perfectly for the jazz trio setting. The other tunes on Echo Fields  are all originals. Some of the finest sax players in the world have employed the chordless trio - most particularly for me in the music of Gerry Mulligan. This works particularly well for Arguelles, with Larry Grenadier (bass) and Jorge Rossy (drums). They all come together on the intense The Canary’s Song  which seems less about a bird in a gilded cage and more about the free flight of a bird in the wild. Julian began his professional life as a sax player with the incomparable Loose Tubes in the 1980s: he still looks the same to me, but there is a maturity to his player which has grown through the intervening years. Awards include a Fellowship from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for his services to jazz in 2017 and a Parliamentary Jazz Award in 2016 for his CD Let it be Told . He is currently professor of jazz saxophone at the Institute of Jazz, Graz, Austria. Everything about Julian’s composition and improvisations seems very considered and deliberate. Performed live with a different ensemble in London, they were still tunes that resonated and felt complete. The Invisible Thread  seems to draw the whole collection together, with a winsome sax - the trio format really allows for space and reflection from each player. ‘Echo Fields’ will be available on Bandcamp  on its release 27 March 2026.

Controversially, the new album from Scottish sax player Brian Molley  posits the premise that jazz was born in Scotland. Regardless of your conviction, you can just enjoy this fine music. I suspect that Molley’s suggestion is somewhat tongue in cheek, but Tùs/Origin  explores three elements in Gaelic psalm singing that are also found in jazz - church music, call and response, and improvisation. Travellers took these elements to the New World and there’s no doubt that jazz incorporates influences from around the world. Tùs/Origin  comes from a fine quartet. Alongside Molley himself, there’s his long-time collaborator Tom Gibbs (piano), joined by David Bowden (bass) and Stephen Henderson (drums), who you may have heard with both pianist Fergus McCreadie's trio and Modern Vikings. The opening, brief track takes Gibbs’s piano alone before Molley’s solo sax is accompanied by backing of more saxes. Ode to Frederick Douglass, Parts One and Two is a beautiful start to the album and when it is reprised later, it brings more depth and perhaps sheds light on the links between Scotland, jazz and America. Not solely intent on exploring jazz, the quartet takes on classical music, bringing Molley’s dextrous and sonorous soprano sax to rise above the piano intro on Dance of the Waves . Once returned to the tenor and a more familiar jazz quartet format, the tune barrels along nicely before returning to the soprano, which closes this gorgeous track. Bowden’s bass sets the groove for the final track of Tùs/Origin : Storm, Whirlwind and Earthquake , which leaves us in doubt that Scotland owns jazz, even if its claims to have given birth to the genre are not entirely proven. What a gorgeous, lyrical end to this stunning album. The Brian Molley Quartet releases Tùs/Origin  on 20 March 2026.

The hall at The Mildmay Club in north London was packed to hear a great selection of tunes presented by vocalist Tina Carr, launching her new album ‘Moon Over Mildmay’. An impressive band filled the stage, with arrangements by MD and pianist Matt Robinson supporting Tina as she sang tunes from the new album and from her back catalogue. The evening began with I Didn’t Know What Time it Was. leading into solos from the marvellous guitar of Tom Ollendorff and Mike Soper on trumpet. Tina’s charisma and collaborative ethos with her band of experienced musicians shone through from that opening track. Throughout, the packed hall responded to each tune with appreciative applause. The album’s title track uses Tina’s lyrics to breathe life into the instrumental ‘Love Song from ‘Apache’. A similar approach to Ouve o Silencio  took the beautiful classical prelude by renowned Brazilian composer Claudio Santoro and adds Tina’s words. The impressive musicians on stage to enhance Tina’s vocals included names from across the UK jazz scene: Matt Robinson (piano), Max Luthert (bass), Rod Oughton (drums), Tom Ollendorf (guitar), Kieran McLeod (trombone), Sam Newbould (alto sax), Mike Soper (trumpet) and Àánú Sodipe (violin). There was a truly delightful and authentic moment where Tina opened the second set with I Get Along Without You Very Well  accompanied by Robinson’s piano. Later, a lovely version of Ruby My Dear , the Thelonious Monk classic showed Tina’s approach to the wider canon of jazz standards beyond the usual American Songbook fare. The Crazy Woman , taken from Moon Over Mildmay  is Tina’s musical treatment of a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry, It was a fitting encore. Tina says: "I didn’t realise this when I was making the album Moon Over Mildmay , but somehow it has turned out to be a very personal piece of work. There's love, of course. But it’s also about otherness, where I am, who I’ve been - and about life still being an utter puzzle, and trying to find meaning and beauty in it all. Most of all, it’s about re-discovering my love of music, and what it means to me.  After many years doing different things and being different people – and being different things to different people, I am,  finally, being true to me.” You can preorder Moon Over Mildmay on Bandcamp .

The new album from bassist Niklas Lukassen  brings together music, influences and collaborators from across Europe: indeed, ‘Still Waters’ is being celebrated with separate release gigs in the UK and Germany. What Still Waters  delivers is pure jazz, with original compositions and improvisation where the interplay between the musicians appears effortless. What surprises me is that I have never encountered Lukassen before - I’m glad that he found me and sent across the album for review. For Still Waters , Lukassen takes his existing sidemen Ben Van Gelder (alto sax),  Kit Downes (piano) and Francesco Ciniglio (drums) and adds in a touch of Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar), Wanja Slavin (alto sax, soprano sax), Céline Rudolph (voice) and Geoffroy De Masure (trombone). Rosenwinkel contributes more than guitar, as the album is being released on his own Heartcore Records . He says: “Niklas Lukassen’s debut album Still Waters  is a strong offering. I am proud to be a part of this clear vision and glistening sound. It’s a pleasure to hear some of the new generation of great musicians playing their best. Give it a listen and you’re sure to fall into these still waters that run deep.” European jazz consistently produces high quality music and the economic difficulties imposed by the Brexit decision of 2016 doesn’t seem to have halted the cross-fertilisation. Lukassen brings his German heritage and infuses it with any number of influences, including from the London scene of which he is a part-time inhabitant. Still Waters flows more than the title would promise. This is no ‘smooth’ jazz album, with tracks like Palisade , where its opening bass line establishes a darkness that deepens as the wider ensemble joins in. Rosenwinkel’s guitar flits along around the horn melodies before De Masure’s trombone solo comes to the fore. Downes’s piano opens Karma  ​before the two saxes weave their magic and Lukassen’s bass solo takes over. The delightful Luna  is another wonderful track, including the bassist’s rich vocals and a gentle track that is reminiscent of Sting’s finest work. Lukassen says: “This year I began with some added enthusiasm in my creative practice given the imminent record release of my personal record and collaborations with cherished friends.” ‘ Still Waters ’ is released on 20 February 2026 and please check out live dates  to see where you can buy the album direct and see this band in action

Out on 20 February and joining the plethora of outstanding jazz to come out of Europe right now is ‘Turn the Dice’ from the Netherlands’ PARRA.DICE. I always love it when an album begins with an intro, and there’s a cinematic flavour to the Intro  that begins Turn the Dice  before we head straight into At Ease . Immediately, we get a full-on band that is something of a modern big band combined with Klezmer tones. By the time we reach track three - Kameleon  - PARRA.DICE are in their stride with musical influences coming from across the globe. To balance the Intro , there’s a 60-second orchestral Interlude , rolling us nicely into the exuberant Discodip .Every track on this album has a different texture that makes great use of all the instruments - electric and acoustic. Turn the Dice  comes from a select group of virtuoso musicians that make up the PARRA.DICE collective: Agnese Valmaggia (drums), Sophie Anglionin (percussion), Nelleke Grimberg (percussion), Noah Stakenborg (electric guitar), Julia Kooreman (electric bass), Nina Zuure (electric violin), Julia Koenen (trumpet & flügelhorn), Mathilde van der Meij (alto sax), Fleur Peereboom (tenor sax). PARRA.DICE Turn the Dice  is out on 20 February

There’s some great jazz coming from across Europe including ‘ Shapeshifter ’, the upcoming release from Stockholm-based bassist Jon Henriksson with his quartet. Henriksson brings his eight original compositions to life with an impressive quartet on Shapeshifter . Rasmus Sørensen (piano), Jonas Bäckman (drums) and Karl-Martin Almqvist (sax) are augmented by Pelle von Bülow (guitar) and Rasmus Holm (trombone) on selected tracks. There really is a sense of shapes being shifted, with each track  exploring a different jazz texture. The opening track - Toninho  - is a tribute to Brazilian guitarist and composer Toninho Horta includes the additional guitar and trombone while allowing the core quartet its moment in the sun, with a lovely, subtle sax improvisation from Almqvist. The title track shows off Henrikkson’s beautiful bass sonority in the opening section with piano. When it comes to the tantalisingly brief Saga Nomri Ngen , the bass once more takes melodic lines that do much more than the traditional supportive bass line. The final high note echoed on the piano cannot help but bring a smile. Once more, on Ses vid horisonten  as Shapeshifter  draws to a close, the bass takes a melodic line that works beautifully with the sax. The interaction between all the instruments is delightful, with Henrikkson’s bass at the heart. Shapeshifter  is out on April Records on 20 March.

There is a beaming sense of minimalist jazz that brings with it a modernity of rhythm on ‘Circadia’, the sixth release from Mammal Hands . This UK trio takes a new turn as brothers Nick and Jordan Smart bring their piano and sax respectively together with drummer Rob Turner, who brings with him experience as the driving force behind the brilliant GoGo Penguin. The minimalist opening to this album in the simplicity of Nick Smart’s piano on Window to Your World  soon evolves with an insistence as Turner’s drums set the pace. Even Jordan Smart’s sax begins almost imperceptibly before the trio settle into complex rhythmics that always seem to come home. Track three is Alia’s Abandon , which once more uses complex rhythmic partnership of piano and drums before the sax joins the party with its own simple yet complementary melody lines. Pianist Nick Smart says of the change in drummer: “We have known Rob since we all started out over a decade ago. We were all part of the UK jazz scene and we always connected over our shared musical instincts and interests. We had to rediscover the soul of our music and Rob has transformed it into something that continues our legacy as well as pushes it forward.” Not only the first outing with Turner, Circadia  is also the first album of the trio on the eclectic and brilliantly-curated ACT Music label. The drummer himself says: “Esbjörn Svensson Trio is one of my biggest influences so to release on ACT feels like coming home as well as starting something new at the same time. It’s one of the most exciting highlights of my career.” Throughout the nine original tracks that are Circadia  the melody lines, rhythms and inventive improvisations combine in a quasi-cacophonic, insistent beauty. By the time we reach the electronic opening of Submerge , we have a clear sense of where Mammal Hands is going: climbing aboard for the journey is almost expected and demanded as the final piano notes die out. Pre-order Circadia on Bandcamp  - it’s released on Friday 27 February 2026. You can also check out their tour dates: this is a band you’re going to want to see live.

'Mosaico’ brings a touch of Brazil to a particularly cold and wet UK winter, with collaboration between vocalist Francesca Confortini  and composer and arranger Ryan Mackenzie . Several distinct elements come together beautifully in the collaboration that is Mosaico  - vocals, strings, horns and a steaming hot rhythm section. There are some particularly brilliant moments, like the gorgeous trombone on Casa Forte  and complex layers of vocals that blend and accent the arrangements. The third track and possibly my favourite is How Insensitive , a Mackenzie arrangement of the Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes composition, with English Lyrics by Norman Gimbel. Luca Boscagin’s guitar works seamlessly with Confortini’s vocals and the lush strings. As well as the Jobim and de Moraes classic tune, there are brilliant, intricate Mackenzie arrangements of Brazilian favourites from Haroldo Lobo and Niltinho’s Tristezza  as well as Pixinguinha’s Carinhoso . Alongside Francesca Confortini’s vocals, Mackenzie’s arrangements come to life with London-based strings and horns, but the ‘mosaic’ in question is held together by the glue that is a solid, inventive rhythm section - Ed Rice (piano), Luca Boscagin (guitar), Matheus Nova (bass), Marcinho Pereira (drums) and Barak Schmool percussion). Mosaico  is out on Tessera Records on 20 March 2026

Four brilliant musicians came together at London’s 606 Club to perform original jazz tunes and one standard. Many of them were from sax player Julian Arguelles ’s forthcoming album, ‘Echo Fields’. All of them were blisteringly good. It’s around 40 years since I last heard Arguelles play and a bit longer since we first sat together in the sax section of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and (briefly, in my case), Loose Tubes. He’s just celebrated a significant birthday and this gig brought him to London from his home in Austria in a rare ensemble that left the audience delighted. For this one-off gig, Arguelles employed the talents of three more of the UK’s best musicians: Gwilym Simcock  (piano), Conor Chaplin  (bass) and James Maddren  (drums). I have heard all of them playing in other ensembles, but together with Arguelles, they unleashed something very special at the 606. Chaplin, Maddren and Arguelles Throughout the evening, the quartet brought structure to tunes and improvised individually and collectively as if they play together regularly and are in the middle of a tour. True professionals, they listened to each other and traded solos and licks on tunes new and familiar. The collection of tunes from Echo Fields  included Leap Year Marvel , dedicated to drummer Martin France who sadly died in September 2024. Another tune - Lek-Lock  - was written for pianist Brian Kellock who died in May 2025. Arguelles is a sensitive soul and he was visibly moved by a number of old friends who joined the 606 audience, including revered saxist Stan Sulzman. After performing Piece for Jess , Arguelles said he’d been thinking about the times he’d played with Sulzman during that tune. Arguelles is now professor of jazz sax at the Institute of Jazz in Graz, but his playing goes back since he was barely a teenager and already showing a maturity of sound and dexterity. He was awarded a Parliamentary Jazz Award for his album Let it be Told  in 2016 and a Fellowship of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for Services to Jazz in 2017. Simcock and Chaplin “I’d play ballads all the time”, Arguelles admitted, and the quartet’s performance of the one standard (that was nearly a ballad) - Nancy With the Smiling Face  - explained why. Even on slower tunes, his tenor comes to life with freedom and dexterity. All the tunes were breathtaking, and it was great to hear the Chaplin/Simcock Haven  performed by the quartet: sometimes, it just feels like you’re in the right place when something extraordinary happens. Watch this space for an incoming review of ‘Echo Fields’, which is set to be released on 27 March 2026.

It’s taken 30 years, but 2026 will be the year I make it down to the Cheltenham Jazz Festival  to celebrate their significant anniversary: check out the line-up for 29 April to 4 May.  Corinne Bailey Rae @Ulrike Rindermann Today marks the launch of the names booked to appear, with Corinne Bailey Rae at the forefront as the Cheltenham Jazz Festival’s new Guest Curator for three years. An extraordinary voice herself (she’ll be performing her own headline show), she has helped select a star-studded line-up from across jazz, soul and blues including Lady Blackbird, Joshua Redman, Emma-Jean Thackray, Bill Frisell, Camilla George, Georgia Cécile, Makaya McCraven, Emma Rawicz, Theon Cross and Courtney Pine. Since 1926 was a significant year in jazz, it’s only right that 100 years since the birth of Miles Davis, Guy Barker (one of the UK's finest trumpeters and composers) will bring a special orchestral tribute from his own Big Band and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Alongside multi award-winner Corinne Bailey Rae and some big names across international music, Cheltenham Jazz Festival is steadfastly focused on future voices. As Rae celebrates the 20th anniversary of her debut, self-titled album, her top picks for the Festival are Joss Stone, Lady Blackbird, Gotts Street Park, Ladies of Midnight Blue, Emma Jean-Thackray and Tinariwen. She said: "I’m thrilled to be joining Cheltenham Jazz Festival as Guest Curator in its 30th year and to be helping shape its artistic journey over the next three years. Jazz is such an important part of my life and learning journey, and I’m excited to celebrate its incredible legacy as part of the Cheltenham family, exploring new ideas and future collaborations while also bringing new voices to the forefront.” I’m delighted that previous Harmonious World guest, saxist and vocalist Kim Cypher  will be joining me again on the podcast to talk about her music and what she’ll be bringing to Cheltenham. Meanwhile, through Musicate, the Festival’s flagship education programme, the charity brings new and unfamiliar genres of music into schools throughout the year, inspiring pupils and teachers through hands-on and inclusive musical experiences. Ian George, Head of Programming for the Jazz Festival and co-CEO of parent charity Cheltenham Festivals: “Reaching 30 years is a major milestone for Cheltenham Jazz Festival. This anniversary programme reflects everything the Festival has always stood for – world-class artists, boundary-pushing jazz and a platform for the next generation. We’re delighted to have appointed the brilliant Corinne Bailey Rae as our new Guest Curator and look forward to our collaboration over the next three years.” Tickets go on sale on 4   March at cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz

In an exciting new project, tenor saxist Mark Lockheart  and vocalist Marvin Muoneké  brought a fabulous 1963 album to life and did so much more than simply pay tribute to the classic 'John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman'. Webb, Pyne, Muoneke, Vitale, Lockheart @rw_crowley Together with Alex Webb (piano), Charlie Pyne (bass) and Alfonso Vitale (drums), the entire quintet entertained a packed Pump House Theatre in Watford with tracks from the 1963 album, original arrangements and new compositions. This year is the centenary of John Coltrane’s birth and there’s no better reason to reimagine some of his classic performances, particularly with Lockheart’s pure tenor sound and dexterity. I chatted with Mark back in 2024  following the release of his album Smiling  and his style of sax playing has always been one I admired. When John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman  was released in 1963, it was immediately a success, partly thanks to the sidemen McCoy Tyner (piano), Jimmy Garrison (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums).  Another element of the success was the rarity of Coltrane performing with a vocalist. So well-respected has it remained that it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame  in 2013. The opening track on the 1963 album is the Irving Berlin They Say It’s Wonderful  and it really was wonderful when performed by Muoneké and Lockheart. Next up was the Sammy Cahn Dedicated to You , which was a particular chance to hear the pure sound of Lockheart’s tenor. Mark Lockheart @rw_crowley Marvin Muoneké @rw_crowley Billy Strayhorn’s Lush Life  opens side two of the 1963 album and together, Lockheart and Muoneké channeled their inner Coltrane and Hartman. You Are Too Beautiful and Autumn Serenade  equally nodded to the originals. Where this evening became particularly interesting was in the adaptation of Coltrane instrumentals that used lyrics created by pianist and composer Alex Webb. Later in 1963, Trane worked with the Duke and released Duke Ellington and John Coltrane , including the brilliant blues Take the Coltrane . This 2026 quintet took that and also added their own version of Ellington’s Angelica . This certainly was more than a tribute show (although it paid tribute to the album extraordinarily well). The quintet brought the tunes right up to date with Forbidden Fruit , the successful single from 2025 written by Muoneké and Webb. Apparently, there is more original material on the way. Finishing the evening with My One and Only Love , the Wood/Mellin tune, brought this whole evening right up to date, with a tip of the hat to the 1963 version. The marvellous Watford Jazz Junction  continues to present a wide range of performances and particularly the marvellous Emma Smith at the Watford Palace Theatre on 9 May ( tickets available here )