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If you're a celebrated Brazilian actress and writer aiming to collaborate on your debut album as a singer, you're going to make a good choice and Samantha Schmütz opted for one of the best producers and multi-instrumentalists around in the shape of Emmy award winner Adrian Younge. Samantha & Adrian starts strong. Depois Do Amor , which was also the first single released in June, sets the tone for this wonderfully performed and produced album. Younge's work is always accomplished and complete and this Brazilian collaboration encompasses orchestral moments and beautiful solos (especially the brief, beautiful baritone sax and trumpet solos on Nossa Cor) . There are moments of utter, utter brilliance across this album, where specific instrument or vocal lines pierce the psyche, such as in Samba Canção where Brazilian and English lyrics and backing vocals sit above a beautiful counterpoint of subtle but expressive percussion. Each brief song performed by this extraordinary ensemble collected by the pair is beautifully orchestral, p roduced and recorded at Younge’s Linear Labs, an all-analogue studio. Together, Samantha and Adrian write lyrics and melodies, creating tracks that move the listener easily between Brazil of today and an LA dancefloor from the 1970s. All helped, no doubt, by Adrian's attention to detail, the fabulous arrangements and the analogue technology. If you want a soundtrack to your summer, Samantha & Adrian could well supply it. And if you're of a certain age, this may well take you right back to summers of your youth.

One of the sayings I can’t seem to avoid when talking about jazz and reviewing new albums or live performances is “standing on the shoulders of giants”, but ‘Figure In Blue’ from the giant Charles Lloyd does more than that. From the opening interpretation of Abide With Me  through this whole collection of new studio recordings with his trio of Jason Moran (piano) and Marvin Sewell (guitar), Lloyd explores some of the music that has inspired him and creates his own. Celebrating the musicians who have inspired him brings real innovation and abiding, beautiful tone and technique. The first single from the album was released a few weeks ago and this title track sets the scene with its Ellington dedication - Figure In Blue, Memories Of Duke . It is a perfect styling of the trio and when Lloyd steps back to allow the Moran/Sewell duo as in the centre of this tune, they, too, show their brilliance without the leader and front man. Lloyd and Moran have collaborated for many years, and it shows. Lloyd says: “We arrive at the heart of the matter with very few words.” Similarly. Sewell melds his guitar into the shared expression of this stunning music. “Marvin has an authentic voice,” says Lloyd. “Marvin grew up in Chicago but has family ties to the Mississippi Delta and knows from first-hand experience the trials and tribulations we experienced on the red clay of the South. You can hear it in his playing.” If you want to hear the music of the South interpreted by a brilliant 21st century jazz ensemble, go straight to the marvellous Chulahoma  - bottleneck guitar in all its glory across Lloyd’s powerful sax. Then take a listen to The Ghost of Lady Day  and hear what Billie Holiday’s voice might have sounded like through a sax. In a post on X to commemorate her birthday in April this year, Lloyd wrote: “Born on this day, the singular Billie Holiday. She filled my childhood dreams with a desire to rescue her from the pain, sorrow, and injustice she was singing about but I couldn't reach the gas pedal yet. She continues to inspire me.” A huge album in many ways, Figure in Blue  feels desperately intimate, with Lloyd’s sax sounding like that of a young man who nevertheless has the experience of an irrelevant number of decades.

From Nigel Price ’s opening sumptuous guitar noodling on ‘Make Someone Happy’ to the gorgeous groove as the rest of his Organ Trio join in, It really is on. ‘It’s On!’ brings to your ears some of the loveliest jazz you’ll hear in 2025 - and you can hear it live as the ensemble is on the road around the UK right now to share the album launch. Apart from three standards, the remaining tracks are all composed by Price specifically for this pared-down and exemplary trio. I interviewed Ross Stanley (keys) for an episode of Harmonious World : he’s an outstanding player who you may have heard with Maceo Parker and Robben Ford. Joel Barford (drums) has appeared with some of my favourite musicians already in 2025, including Paul Edis and Liane Carroll and he completes this rather brilliant trio.   Nigel tells me that the recording process with these guys was “relaxed” and they laid down seven of the tracks on the first day. If you want to see what relaxed recording looks like to Nigel, I can only recommend you watch the video of Backatcha . It steams along with brilliant musical interaction that promises much for the live gigs. And the smiles on the faces for the final chord say a great deal about how  If you think you don’t know Nigel Price, you will probably have heard his guitar on some of the finest jazz albums the UK has produced in recent years. Apart from his own ensembles, he spent 10 years with acid jazz outfit The Filthy Six, recorded five albums in the three years he was a member of James Taylor’s band, JTQ. He’s appeared with David Axelrod and on Van Morrison’s Keep Me Singing  album, as well as a support show for Gladys Knight at The Royal Albert Hall.   Oh, and his awards include the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Jazz Ensemble (2010) and the British Jazz Award for Best Guitarist (2016). He was also nominated for the Services to Jazz Awards in the 2021 Parliamentary Jazz Awards. 
He has directed Swanage jazz festival and Shepperton Jazz Club, and is the founder of Grassroots Jazz, the charity that raises money for stricken jazz clubs. As I’m listening to the fabulous It’s On , I’m preparing to meet Nigel for a live interview that will feature in a forthcoming episode of Harmonious World.The Nigel Price Organ Trio is at the start of its impressive tour around the UK - check out the dates here  and get your tickets before they sell out. Then you can also buy a copy of It’s On  (although it is available online ). Watch this space for the Harmonious World episode and a live review of one of the upcoming gigs.

The Easy Rollers have created a fabulous line-up and set-list that recreates the music of the 1920s and 1930s but brings it right up to date for 2025. I reviewed their new album - ‘… And Another Thing’ - last month and it was a delight to hear some of those tracks live this week, as well as a whole new selection of tunes. It was the first time for me seeing this band live, despite their upcoming ten year anniversary: the Easy Rollers manage to delightfully combine arrangements of traditional and familiar songs from a century ago with original compositions. Tiger Rag and Lady Be Good were a good starting point for the capacity audience at Holborn’s Pizza Express Live and we all understood what was coming. The switch to originals such as the humorous and slightly dark The Ballad of Billy, A Kid was seamless. Combining songs from the new album - … And Another Thing - with newer tunes will have pleased even those who had seen the band before. When a band works around the absence of an unwell drummer (get well soon, Matt Brown), that is even more impressive. The Easy Rollers are: Dani Sicari (lead vocals); Alex Hill (piano); Tom Sharp (trumpet); Jamie Stockbridge (tenor sax and clarinet), James Girling (guitars) and Sam Jackson (double bass). Another nice touch involved members of the band sharing the job of talking to the audience. Each one infused their song introduction duties with some humour and some education. When James Girling talked about his use of acoustic and electric guitars, he was explaining the crossover between older and newer compositions, as well as between the US and French influences on the band’s style. Dani engaged most with the audience, and shared a welcome to her parents and discussion of her operatic training. Full disclosure - James Stockbridge was at school with my son, so his sax playing, composition and arrangements were all something I’ve come to expect, but hearing him for the first time with The Easy Rollers was truly a joy. I look forward to the next time, and hopefully there’ll be a drummer, too! You can read my album review here .

Challenging and fascinating, ‘ Potentially Interesting Jazz Music’ from I Hold the Lion’s Paw is equally experimental and exciting. After taking a listen to Iridescence from Danny Widdicombe and Trichotomy a few weeks ago, Earshift Music has provided my second Australian album to review and the I Hold the Lion’s Paw ensemble have sent me something special. Celebrated and award-winning trumpeter Reuben Lewis ignores all the boundaries sometimes imposed by genre and expectation with the experimental ensemble I Hold the Lion’s Paw. Formed a decade ago, Lewis et al are determinedly pushing all those boundaries, while providing exceptional and elegant jazz that requires all ears to be open. It’s all deliberate. Lewis says: “I want the audience to join us in a genre rebellion. Our music is about the journey - we’ve never been interested in style or convention. My role as bandleader is simply to keep the door open to possibility.” And this band is clearly open to all possibilities. Joining Reuben Lewis (trumpet, synths, pedals) are Emily Bennett (voice, synths, lyrics, vocal composition), Adam Halliwell (bass guitar, guitar, double neck guitar, 12-string guitar, flute) and Ronny Ferella (drums, percussion), with guest appearances from Tariro Mavondo (poetry, voice) and Michelle Nicolle (voice). It took the ensemble just seven hours to record this album and they take us through grooves, spoken word, improvisation and electronics in these nine precise and yet free-flowing tracks. Potentially Interesting Jazz Music  combines all that in the title track, with horns, guitars and synths sitting alongside fascinating rhythms. The ‘meta’ approach of a jazz album that explores what a jazz album can be starts with the opening Level Check  that tumbles through descriptive, poetic and intimate spoken word into Voodoo . The poetry of guest artist Tariro Mavondo is brilliantly bold. The drums, voice and trumpet interplay on When the Earth and Sky Conspired  expands into a frenetic end to this extraordinary (in a VERY good way) album.

One of my all-time favourite states (if that’s even a thing) has always been Colorado, so when I was sent the latest album from the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra  (CJRO), I promised to give it a listen. This was a particular delight, as CJRO Artistic Director Drew Zaremba is a former guest on Harmonious World . The ensemble’s fourth album since 2017, Golden Lady  is a delightful collaboration of contemporary jazz featuring excellent musicianship and the gorgeous vocals of Tatiana LadyMay Mayfield. Big band jazz is often my place of joy where I return: Golden Lady  will certainly be in that box. With brilliant arrangements and solos, there’s a groove from the opening bars of Hold Tight  right through to a pacey, energetic rendition of You’ll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart) . And don’t miss the stunning sax solo on Hold Tight from Snarky Puppy’s Bob Reynolds. But one of the key highlights of this album is CJRO Artistic Director Drew Zaremba’s arrangement of the title track. Taking Stevie Wonder’s Golden Lady  and adding in a little of Jill Scott’s Golden  is inspired and it works with the big band backing. Together, Zaremba and Mayfield have curated a selection of original and classical tunes to highlight the legacy of influential Black women songwriters. Drew says: " Golden Lady  is Tatiana. This album is a celebration of her artistry and a way to introduce her brilliance to Colorado and beyond. …This isn’t just another big band record - it’s a statement. We wanted to show that a jazz orchestra can honor this music authentically, bringing our own artistic voice while staying true to [its] soulful, groove-driven roots." If, like me, your soul is drawn to big bands, there are a few albums out this year with a large ensemble and Golden Lady  is one of those you’ll come back to again and again. And Colorado is still on my list to visit again VERY soon.

The latest album from Australian jazz quintet Hand to Earth is ‘Ŋurru Wäŋa’ , pronounced Wooroo Wanga. The album brings traditional music up to date with a collection of musicians from different backgrounds, birthplaces and musical approaches. Daniel and David Wilfred describe themselves as Yolŋu song keepers and this project allows them to recontextualise their 40,000 year old song tradition. Joining together with  Sunny Kim (vocals), Peter Knight (trumpet and electronics) and Aviva Endean (woodwind). Adding to their number on tour with the UK’s own Shabaka, the ensemble is touring Ŋurru Wäŋa . Each tune on the album and live performances has special meaning and is brought up to date in a combination of styles and arrangements.   The title track of Ŋurru Wäŋa  is in two parts, with Sunny Kim reciting Korean poet Yoon Dong Ju’s poem Another Home  while Daniel Wilfred sings in the Wäglilak language. The juxtaposition of the two languages, alongside music that is both ethereal and deeply rooted in a wide range of influences both traditional and more modern jazz. Trumpeter and producer Peter Knight says: “Daniel’s song cycle traces the flight of the birds, the Mäḏawk and Wäk Wäk. It describes the seasons, and the Stringybark tree, Gaḏayka, that supplies the bark for painting, and the wood for the bilma (clapping sticks).  With the exception of The Crow, which was recorded in New York, these songs landed in single takes in one session recording just the voice, bilma, and yidaki with some synth drones and other materials. The rest of the sounds came later in separate iterative recording sessions, in which the  settings for the songs were developed through spontaneous layering and rubbing back.” Switching off the outside world and listening to the deeply meaningful and evocative tunes on Ŋurru Wäŋa transports the listener to an entrancing new world that combines familiar and new music and language.

Composer and pianist Bill Laurance has a seemingly unstoppable creativity that takes him in new directions, from Snarky Puppy and his duo work with Michael League to the latest album ‘Lumen’. Sitting inside St Faith's Church in Dulwich, a tiny suburb of South London, one of the finest musicians of his generation was able to escape from some of the impositions of the outside world and Lumen  is a stunning collection of compositions and improvisations. Bill says: ”I'm not a very religious person, but it was special to play there while everyday life was on hold. And it's different when you're in that kind of setting, just communicating with yourself. I wanted to capture the freedom in music that arises at moments like that.” The freedom of sitting at an acoustic concert grand piano with some fully-composed pieces also gave Bill the opportunity to explore the sounds of the moment within both the piano and the building. "When you play solo, you have a unique opportunity to explore that. Recording in a church was the perfect setting and let me fully surrender to the music. The superb guitarist Isaiah Sharkey once said to me that it’s the music itself which tells him what to play. That idea really left its mark on me. We are usually trained to control everything, to practice until it’s perfect. But I think I've got to a point where I just want to let it flow. Do the opposite, let the music take the lead." It was a pleasure to interview Bill in his studio just around the corner from the church in spring of 2024 for an episode of Harmonious World . He shared some of his creative ideas and where they came from for one of last year’s albums - Bloom . He mentioned during our conversation his search for creative outlets and Lumen  feels like his re-connection with the music of his soul, stripped bare. Lumen  comes from the recording of around three hours of music and tunes like the glorious brief but expressive title track could have been longer, but don’t need that extension. On this tune in particular, light emerges from the darkness as the higher notes swim above the disappearing bass at the start and middle of the track - taking over and quietening to the fade out. Alongside the grand piano, there are touches of a felted piano, heard perfectly in the simple but softly expressive theme of Mantra . People often ask me which jazz musicians or albums they should listen to for a way into the music and Lumen  is one that I’ve been recommending for a while, particularly for people who have heard Bill’s work with Snarky Puppy. This is different, but clearly comes from the same creative well. Solo piano is a joy and Lumen  is majestically simple and beautifully performed and recorded. The album ends with Even After All , gently leading us through Bill’s thoughts on where he is now as a mature musician, with the occasional audible sigh that seems utterly visceral. We are almost in the room: the final chord is released and one can only wish for more.

Brazil comes to Britain and spills over around the rest of the world in the hands of pianist Paul Harrison as he celebrates the music of Brazilian genius Egberto Gismonti. Paul Harrison is based in Scotland but he felt himself drawn to the compositions and playing of the Brazilian Egberto Gismonti. In Encontros , he has brought a new collection with his ensemble Trio Mágico, which was formed specifically to bring this project to stage and recording. Harrison says: “The music got under my skin. I was particularly taken by the fact  that Gismonti offered alternatives to samba and bossa nova, much though I like these  styles, and that he was showing that Brazil had so much more music and so many  rhythms. Each piece presented a challenge but in a good way and I quickly grew to love the diversity involved.” The musicians gathered for Encontros  have a rich global mixture of cultures and traditions. Trio Mágico features Harrison (piano) with Scottish-based Brazilian Mario Lima Caribe (bass) and Stu Brown (drums). Together they have released this album with guest appearances from Edmundo Carneiro (percussion), Laura Macdonald (sax), Rachel Lightbody (vocals), Sua-Le (cello) and Fraser Fifield (whistle). The selection of tracks is inspired, with each one conveying a different aspect of Brazilian music that goes far beyond the rhythms which most of us would recognise. Lightbody’s vocals on Loro  have a lightness and intricacy that particularly works alongside the percussion and Harrison’s own piano. Harrison switches it up as he moves to melodica for the upbeat and bouncy Karate  that plays rhythmic tricks on the listener. The vocals are inspired again on Bianca , as they float around Fifield’s whistle on a track that seems to bring Brazil and Scotland together particularly well. In the end the closing track of Encontros  is the perfectly brief A Fala Da Paixão  (the speech of passion). Egberto Gismonti says of the album: “it has humour, has grace, has freedom to play.” Nowhere is that more true than in this tune as the final notes fade to silence.

The multi-talented Anders Hagberg has released a remarkable collection of globally-influenced iracks on ‘With Hope’ Opening with Elasticity of Trees  and a breathy flute over sparse piano, bass and percussion, the entire collection of tunes on With Hope  brings a sense of the positive that we all need in this difficult world. I have reviewed very few albums that centre around flute, even though it’s one of my favourite instruments to both play and listen to. Hagberg has collaborated with some giants of contemporary music including Avishai Cohen, Marilyn Mazur and Jon Hassell and With Hope  delivers a selection of tunes that are composed or improvised, as well as those inspired by traditional songs from Ukraine. Meanwhile, the album concludes with an arrangement of Francis Poulenc’s O Magnum Mysterium  with one of the gorgeous lower flutes that sits beautifully with the bass. Joining Anders Hagberg (concert, alto, bass and contrabass flutes, soprano sax, matusi and singing bowl) are Johannes Lundberg (double bass, vocals, Oberheim, FX), Joona Toivanen (piano, prepared piano, synthesizer, Key Bird, FX) and Helge Andreas Norbakken (percussion, drums). The external influences on Hagberg’s composition, arrangement and improvement are immense, especially in Ruins, Evening Hymn  and With Hope , which are all inspired by chorales from Gammelsvenskby in Ukraine. Similarly, Arctic Call  comes from an Inuit drum song and Woods in Blue  reflects a traditional Swedish polska from Härjedalen. Together, the collection of tunes take those influences from around the world and combine effortlessly into the Hagberg quartet’s own style. Hagberg says: “For me, this music is a response to the challenges we face. It’s filled with sadness, but also hope. Hope that I find in listening and creating together, in children’s play, in small acts of resistance and resilience. Music allows us to see the beauty that still exists in these uncertain times.” A warning: I finished this review and hadn't realised that I had kept With Hope playing. as the tracks went roung again There is a mesmeric quality to the album and I hope you can get lost in it, too.

Pianist and composer Dave Bristow  brings his quintet for your listening delight with their second album - ‘ Sides ’, featuring the extraordinary talent that is guitar icon Mike Stern. Stern brings his experience of working with luminaries such as Miles Davis and Jaco Pastorius and Bristow’s quintet acquits itself perfectly. Tracks like Light Speed  blister along right through until the solid, luminous conclusion. Bristow is joined by Christian Altehülshorst (trumpet), Félix Hardouin (alto sax), Gabriel Pierre (bass) and Guillaume Prévost (drums). The quintet recorded in two sessions over a year apart and are joined not only by the esteemed Stern’s guitar, but also by Caloé and Katrin-Merili Poom (vocals), Gustave Reichert (guitar), and Tommy Scott (Fender Rhodes). The opening track, Stars of Orion  sets the tone for this collection of nine original compositions that each take the listener on a beautiful journey around the world of modern jazz. Bristow is a Brit, living in Paris, and his compositions seem to spread its influence across the Atlantic and through Europe. The quintet combines effortlessly within the central composition and individual improvisations. There is a classical cadence to some of Bristow’s compositions and Pierre’s bass combines delightfully with the French vocals of Caloé on Rêverie d’Automne . If Stars of Orion  sets a beautiful start to Sides , then it is The End  which encapsulates everything Bristow and his quintet have to offer. Featuring the vocals of Katrin-Merili Poom extensive electric guitar from Gustave Reichert and Fender Rhodes touches of Tommy Scott alongside the core quintet, there is a lovely final flourish from Bristow's piano. As well as thanking the technical team and those who supported him through the recording of this album, Bristow says: “A big thank you to my amazing group; Christian, Félix, Gabriel and Guillaume and the wonderful guest musicians Caloé, Katrin, Gustave and Tommy for their stellar musicianship, time and generosity, and especially to Mike Stern who went above and beyond to help us and for believing in the strength of our music.”

You really don’t want to see the pile of CDs and stacks of download folders I have to listen to, but there’s some gems in there: there’s a lightness about ‘Iridescence’ from songwriter Danny Widdicombe and jazz trio Trichotomy . I was pleased to hit play - eventually - on this July launch from Earshift Music . Danny Widdicombe brings his songwriting talents to a gen-re bending treat in collaboration with piano trio Trichotomy. Iridescence  is a collection of 10 tunes that swing effortlessly between jazz, folk, soul and a little bit of country (check out Stare into the Sun). As well as a lightness and controlled simplicity, Iridescence  has a sense of spontaneity in the creativity, as Widdicombe explains: “We didn’t really plan out a lot of the music. We had sketches of songs and just went into the studio. The songs took their shape throughout the session.” The album recording took place ‘live’ at the iconic MONA art museum in Tasmania and perhaps that also brings some of the spontaneity. The bouncy It’ll Be OK  takes us to a better place. Iridescence  builds on the successful collaboration of Widdicombe and Trichotomy with the 2019 release Between the Lines . The lineup seems effortless, creative and productive: Danny Widdicombe (vocal, guitar, synth), Sean Foran (piano, keyboards), John Parker (drums, percussion) and Samuel Vincent (electric bass). There’s a special appearance with strings from Luke Moller. The intricacy and complexity of vocal lines on Sunshine State of Mind  rides above lovely trio work before the darkness of the Black Magic  tale of revenge and “little white pins stuck inside my head”. Lyrically, Widdicombe explores the human condition from all angles. Foran says: “There’s scope in the music for us to be really creative. It challenges us to respond to Danny’s lyrics and songwriting craft. These are beautiful songs that really stay with you.” Enjoy the varied colours of Iridescence . Australian music that refuses to be shoved into a specific genre.