South London’s inspirational World Heart Beat Music Academy is hosting a special season celebrating all things vocal and I was treated to an intimate evening of modern chamber opera. Previous guest on Harmonious World , pianist and composer Nicole Brancato , has worked with baritone Jeremy Weiss  to create Infinitesimal , based on groundbreaking research about near-death experiences. The first performance was in front of the audience in London’s Nine Elms as part of ‘Season of the Song’. The music is quite extraordinary, with lyrics that bring to life the memories that might pass through your mind at the end of your life. Director Kevin Newbury  brought the production to life and, together with an impressive technical crew around them, Nicole and Jeremy portray moments from their own lives. The sparse props used are all vital and meaningful, with a traditional radio that seems to convey the work of real scientists who have researched the brain at the end of life. Hearing the voices of those experts as they punctuate the opera brings a sense of reality. Nicole and Jeremy worked together on the libretto before the piano and voice brought it all together in preparation for the production. Each of them tells stories that may or may not be real and remembered. Those props - a suitcase that becomes a mirror and a screen; a rucksack containing autumn leaves and meaningful photos; the radio that many of us still remember from our childhoods - work visually alongside the sonic world of piano and voice. Immediately prior to the performance I saw, Nicole and Jeremy joined by a group of young students from a local school. Their questions seemed to pre-empt some of the lyrics that they hadn’t even heard, and they were fascinated by the life of musicians - many of them were at World Heart Beat to experience music hands-on thanks to the marvellous work of the organisation behind the venue. Infinitesimal  is desperately moving and intimate, exploring the connections between humans, both each performer and the audience. The team behind the production brought movingly a sense of possibility in death in our own relationships and reminiscences. The tour is continuing, so I urge you to explore this production when it arrives at a venue near you. Find out more here .

Jazz Is Dead Records can always be relied on to issue the most ground-breaking and extraordinary music. This time, it’s a collaboration between JID’s Adrian Younge and the Brazilian musical legend Carlos Dafé. JID 025  is a blistering, ebullient celebration of this collaboration. Reading about Dafé is eye-opening, with the music allowing his story to be told by the man himself. He collaborated not only with Younge on the production, but also with family and friends, writing melodies, lyrics and spoken-word passages inspired by stories he once told his children. Born in Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, he grew up surrounded by music and poetry. His father, a chorinho player, and his mother, a poet, nurtured his talent from a young age. In the 1970s, Dafé became a pillar of Brazil’s Black music movement, alongside Tim Maia, Cassiano, Wilson Simonal, and Banda Black Rio. Known as “The Prince of Soul,” a title bestowed by Nelson Motta, Dafé brought samba, soul and funk into harmony, creating enduring hits like A Beleza É Você Menina .   Dafé and Younge began collaborating in Los Angeles and the Brazilian legend was captivated by Younge’s creative process, saying: “I was in awe of the stupendous arrangements Adrian had created, so I made sure to leave plenty of space for the instrumentals to shine.” As a baritone sax player, I just loved JID 025  from the opening notes of Amor Enfeiticado (Bewitched Love), released as a single earlier than the album itself. Forming something of a title track, Jazz Esta Morte  (Jazz is Dead) kicks all the musical detractors out of the way. Brazilian lyrics convey a staggering sense of soul and story-telling above the intensely intricate arrangements for a huge ensemble. Another favourite track is the smoky ballad Como Entender O Amor  (How to Understand Love), with Dafé’s poetic lyrics and vocal acrobatics flying high above the orchestrated arrangements. None of these tracks are extended, but each gives a tiny slice of this fantastic collaboration between Dafé and Younge.

Marco Cafolla is a truly energetic and focussed musical dynamo: his latest release is out on Acid Jazz Records with Federation of the Disco Pimp. ‘ Gratuitous ’ is a truly epic piece of funk. From the title track (which you will have heard if you listen to Jazz FM, where it’s been a staple for several weeks) right through to the genius Is Daddy Okay? , this is an album that grooves and funks all the way, with a decisive rhythm section led by Marco’s piano and outstanding horns. It was a delight to interview Marco Cafolla, for a forthcoming episode of Harmonious World. You can listen to that conversation here . Although this is their first album since the pandemic, it’s also the first on the highly-prestigious Acid Jazz label. Previous cuts are available on Bandcamp . The ten new tunes build on the previous outings and Marco has brought in some impressive guest appearances: Billy Valentine (vocals), Fred Wesley (trombone) and Kenni Holmen (sax). If you like to dance and want tunes with more than a touch of soul, this is the 2025 album for you. Fred Wesley blasts it out on The Pieces That Remain  after some horn lines and sparse vocals that establish the groove nicely, with Wesley’s simple but effective trombone lines made for the funk. Similarly, Freak  features Kenni Holmen’s sax, previously heard with, among others, Janet Jackson, Prince and Gladys Knight. These guys add a touch of class and Billy Valentine’s vocals on Gratuitous  are an awesome soul/jazz/funk melee. The title track proves Marco Cafolla’s status as pianist, composer and arranger and I’m looking forward to the next release in spring 2026, where Mama Terra’s  Inner Space  is promised.

The hugely successful ‘The Summer Portraits’ album by composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi has been given a makeover by the great man’s son, Leo. This is not the first such collaboration, but it brings a delicate and refreshing spin to the collection of eight tracks. All of this is alongside the announcement of a series of concerts in 2026 that will feature the pianist in different settings. Following a record-breaking and stunning run of concerts at London’s Royal Albert Hall earlier in 2025 (you can read my review here), he has just confirmed his biggest ever UK performance, at The O2, London on Friday 10 July 2026 with his full band. There will also be an appearance at that event of organist Anna Lapwood MBE. With the remix of The Summer Portraits , Einaudi v Einaudi is anything but a battle. It is a refreshing of the original tracks, which the composer described as the result of a cascade of personal memories triggered by sun, summer and family holidays. The son’s reinterpretations of the father’s creations are a homage. There is no attempt to improve, but rather to adapt them to a different style.  Consider In Memory of a Dream : Leo’s version is a recognisable, electronic version of the original: just as jazz musicians regularly take standards and tunes and make them their own. It doesn’t help to (as I tried) play sections of the original and compare to the newer iteration. Each track is looked at by a different musician, and there’s something quite marvellous about them. Ludovico explains, “For several years now, I have been engaged in a musical exchange with Leo, collaborating on various projects, films, and more. There has always been a strong understanding between us, and in addition to having a musical sensibility very close to mine, Leo possesses an artistic sensitivity that I perceive as deeply personal. This is why ‘Einaudi vs Einaudi’ offers a renewed perspective on my original versions, bringing a fresh interpretation to the pieces while preserving their spirit.” Leo adds, “From the outset of our musical connection, working with my father has always been marked by a deep sense of complicity and a true symbiosis of ideas. What has always amazed me is how natural our collaboration felt. Reimagining his songs happened with that same ease — it became a journey of constant discovery through the endless details at the heart of his music. It allowed me to see new sides of it, to let those elements enter my own imagination, and to shape them into a new form — one that respects their essence while giving them a new life.”

‘ Lacrimosa’, the latest album from pianist and composer Øystein Sevåg  conveys something of his Nordic approach to Western classical music, with more than a touch of jazz improvisation. When I created Harmonious World in that unforgettable spring of 2020, I thought I would interview musicians and review music in the classical or jazz genres. I quickly realised that the distinction between genres is often delightfully blurred, and that is certainly the case with Øystein Sevåg’s Lacrimosa . Sevåg describes this album as being for anyone in need of relief, inspiration, or a renewed belief in the future at a time when the world is struggling to find common ground. The title Lacrimosa , meaning ‘tear’, reflects the spirit of the project and the cover image - a NASA contribution - depicts Earth suspended in space, like a pearl, a drop, or a tear. The ensemble gathered for this recording is global and more than impressive, led by Øystein Sevåg (piano) with Emily Hultmark (bassoon), Bendik Hofseth (sax), Sara Övinge (violin), Hanne Moe Skjelbred (viola), Gregor Riddell (cello), Elisa Herbig (cello), Mats Eilertsen (bass), Rune Arnesen (drums) and the North Macedonia Symphony Orchestra. It’s rare to hear the bassoon take such a lead role, as it does on nearly all of the tracks on Lacrimosa , but it is deserving of that role in the hands of Emily Hultmark, particularly when it sits alongside the string section. Night on Earth  is possibly the most ‘classical’ of the tunes and that combination of wind and strings is sublime. One of the most beautiful tracks on the album and one that’s on a loop in my head is Love Continuum , which shows the composer’s skill in the classical and jazz genres. Sevåg’s piano morphs from soloist to accompanying Hultmark’s bassoon and then Hofseth’s resonant sax. All the tracks on Lacrimosa  were composed and arranged for this ensemble by Sevåg, and the collection seems intensely personal and dedicated to our planet. Listen to the whole album on Bandcamp .

The jazz heritage is strong in the ethos, the method and the music of the Nigel Price Organ Trio. Their sold-out album launch event at Soho’s Pizza Express Live was a case in point - three incredible musicians at the top of their game, channeling some of the finest of the giants upon whose shoulders they stand. You may have already read my review of the Nigel Price Organ trio’s latest album - It’s On!  - which is a fine piece of work from a fine ensemble under the leadership of an extraordinary guitarist. This established trio consists of Nigel, with Hammond organ genius Ross Stanley  (who I chatted with for an episode of Harmonious World with guitarist Chris Allard when their album Tortugas  was released) and the brilliant young drummer Joel Barford . Their first album - That’s It, Right There  - first demonstrated that they do, indeed, have ‘it’. The launch event itself captivated a capacity, appreciative audience in one of the finest of UK jazz clubs on Dean Street. The trio was, at once, laid back and tight. A quarter of the way through the tour to launch It’s On!  the trio may have been tired, but there was no evidence of that in their playing. There’s an episode of Harmonious World on the way, recorded in my local coffee shop while Nigel was on his way to an earlier gig. You can find the list of venues on the website , but book quickly, because tickets will continue to sell fast. Alongside tracks from It’s On!  like the funky, Booker TJones-like Chonky , the George Benson-inspired Backatcha  (one of my favourites) and Splash the Cash , the set-list included the lovely Detour Ahead  and Joe Zawinul’s Midnight Mood . The night was a delightful celebration of the new album, a reflection of the trio’s previous works and standards that reflect the musicians’ influences. Talking of musicians, it’s rare to see so many other musical creatives in the audience, with young and old, jazz and classical professionals all enjoying this brilliant album launch. ‘It’ is very much ‘On!’

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.