The prodigious Immanuel Wilkins has just released the third volume of his Blue Note trilogy - ‘Live at the Village Vanguard’. And it’s brilliant. Wilkins’ first ever live release features his quartet at the shrine to New York jazz. Taking the stand with his quartet - Micah Thomas (piano), Ryoma Takenaga (bass) and Kweku Sumbry (drums) - he absolutely shines through every note, every bar and every tune. The three albums together constitute some of the best contemporary jazz around and this final volume has an ease that combines with these four musicians at the top of their game. Ring Shout begins with Sumbry’s drums creating a complex groove picked up by piano and bass until Wilkins joins with the melody. There’s something about his alto sax sound that could only come from New York City and there is a brilliant subtlety to every note and inflection. The tune heats up into improvisation as the notes proliferate, but never in a showy way. Composition IX is a more virtuosic display from the opening bars and the quartet roasts through the tune. As the frenetic virtuosity intensifies, the tune evolves into a bebop outpouring that still has more to express until it ends as suddenly as it began. Next up is the smooth DOLLA$, which allows Wilkins’ sax space to expand his solo in a series of beautifully melodic phrases. Features and solos from the other members of the quartet are never far behind and Wilkins eases back in each time. The final track on this trilogy is Put 100 on the Blue Chain and it really is a gorgeous contemporary jazz quartet exploration. Wilkins leaves the audience absolutely satisfied by this closing tune: if, like me, you weren’t there, then this Blue Note release brings this extraordinary performance a little closer. Immanuel Wilkins Quartet: ‘Live At The Village Vanguard’ Vol. 1 was released via Blue Note on March 20, followed by Vol. 2 on April 17 and Vol. 3 on May 15

Hearing award-winning musician Shri performing a solo show at Watford Jazz Junction blew my mind and I was determined to review his latest album. You can read my review of the delightful afternoon gig here, and I hope you can see why I needed to review Singing Bass. Shri’s use of his hand-crafted bass guitar is inventive, with a vast array of electronics, using a bow from time to time and switching to bansuri (Indian flutes) from time to time. On Singing Bass, there is a sense of exploring music and his instruments, as well as self-discovery. Singing Bass opens with Juhu, and already we have the sonorous bass and effects that make this so much more than a solo album. It’ll have you nodding along, or tapping your foot, from the opening bars: the groove is established and then suddenly the bass becomes a solo melodic instrument before the groove returns. Shri’s eclectic cultural background shines through, with elements of jazz, folk and Indian classical music all combining on this and every track. Shri takes us to a Hilltop and again uses electronics and bass melodies to evoke a setting before he then picks up the tabla for Tablaah and overlays percussion above bass groove and melody. When we reach Strong Gentle Wise, the dextrous bow is out and the melody soars in and around the electronics. Throughout Singing Bass, Shri seems to explore so many elements of contemporary classical and popular music from around the world. The final tune is the one that he concluded his set with when I saw him in Watford: Peace uses the bansuri flutes and Shri’s bass to take us on a global desire for harmony. Singing Bass is a joyous, inspired and inspiring album from Shri, who has worked extensively with some of the finest musicians around, including pianist Joanna MacGregor, saxophonist and composer Andy Sheppard, the Britten Sinfonia and the incredible Norwegian pianist and composer, Bugge Wesseltoft. Start with this album and then I would encourage you to explore more of his music. You can find videos of Shri’s playing on his YouTube channel

For the first time, the West Side Jazz Club brought together a few of the top musicians seen in ensembles around the UK to launch their very own Jazz Orchestra. The West Side Jazz Orchestra (c) rw_crowley The 16 musicians on stage can often be seen in small ensembles, with many of them holding seats in the BBC Big Band, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra and Syd Lawrence Orchestra. Two of them have also appeared in the highly prestigious Buddy Rich Big Band. Freddie Gavita and Eddie Curtis @rw_crowley There were arrangements by Quincy Jones, Bob Florence, Sammy Nestico, Thad Jones, Gordon Goodwin, Count Basie and Tom Kubis, but the most special tunes were those from Colin Skinner (alto sax), Martin Williams (tenor sax), Freddie Gavita (trumpet) and the sadly absent Callum Au (trombone). Simon Gardner and Jay Craig@rw_crowley As one might reasonably expect from such a select group, the ensemble performances were impeccable but there were some brilliant solos, including from the afore-mentioned Skinner, Williams and Gavita, as well as my old friend Simon Gardner (trumpet) and a lovely drum solo on Sing, Sang, Sung from the West Side Jazz supremo Dave Tandy. Dave Tandy and Martin Williams @rw_crowley The West Side Jazz Orchestra will be back in November and it promises to be another crowd-pleaser. Congratulations to the man behind West Side Jazz - drummer Dave Tandy (above) - for pulling this all together. Next up at West Side Jazz is the Anthony Kerr and Peter Long Quintet on 3 June

The self-styled crooner James Hudson put on a cool show for the crowd at West Side Jazz, pulling out a great selection of classic show tunes, brilliantly arranged. Joe, James, Murray and Dave (c) rw_crowley James confessed that the set-list was very much last-minute, and arrangements were directed through the evening so it was very much a specific, carefully curated performance. His voice is pure and sonorous: there’s an ease with which he adapts the melodies and gently leads the band along with him. Some of the best arrangements were The Nearness of You, You Make Me Feel So Young and the encore Sunny. With a jazz version of Pure Imagination, originally made famous by Gene Wilder, James proved that he can turn anything into a standard and make it swing. Joe, James and Murray (c) rw_crowley The musicians at West Side Jazz are always at the top of their field and, due to a sporting injury, a late substitution on bass for this show was the highly adept Murray Dare. Keys responsibilities fell to Joe Hill, while Dave Tandy was on his usual drums chair. The quartet together put on a great show of arrangements featured on James’s two albums, Tomorrow and Moonray. I reviewed the latter just before its release in 2024. James unashamedly describes himself as a crooner, and admits his inspiration in the shape of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Tony Bennett and Ella Fitzgerald, but he does it with real class and the audience at West Side Jazz loved it. Next up at West Side Jazz is an exciting Big Band made up of some of the UK’s best musicians on 6 May

One of my favourite duos for the last few years has been Elina Duni and Rob Luft and their third album together is phenomenal. Reaching for the Moon brings together the vocals of Duni and the guitar of Luft and this is a stunning combination of cultural and musical influences. Opening with the title track, Duni’s voice evokes everything from the Irving Berlin original and melds it into her own style, with Luft’s expressive guitar and use of electronics. This is a tune that has been oft-covered but this version brings something new and poignant. There are several other tunes from films or, like the Gabriel Fauré Les Berceaux, classics that influenced or inspired the duo. For me, the most interesting tunes are the three originals: they allow the duo to be more than interpreters of others’ ideas. Luft’s introduction to Foolish Flame makes expert and subtle use of the electronics which always impress anyone who has seen him live. Duni’s beautiful voice joins him and this love song once more evokes the moon and often breaks into wordless vocals. The multi-lingual voice oozes a tenderness on the other Duni/Luft songs Magnolia and Your Arms. The final track of the album is Lonely Woman, composed in 1959 by sax player Ornette Coleman, with lyrics by Margo Guryan. This version is gentle and delicate, with the subtle addition of the vocalist’s percussion, and seems to represent the woman who - at the opening of the album - is Reaching for the Moon. I interviewed Elina Duni for Harmonious World in August 2023 and Rob Luft in July 2020 and live in July 2024 - you can watch the video on YouTube. Elina Duni and Rob Luft are touring widely, so do check out their schedule and buy ‘Reaching for the Moon’ direct from the artists or find it online

The weekend of music presented by Watford Jazz Junction gave audiences a perspective on the world of jazz - from beginners to international professionals. Following the Gala Night with Emma Smith at Watford Palace Theatre, a bumper Sunday afternoon of music and chat delighted the audience at St John’s Church. The WJJ Jazz Train choir The afternoon began with a children’s choir from local schools who have all taken part in the Watford Jazz Junction’s Jazz Train workshops. The tutors on this inspirational initiative include Ilario Ferrari together with Orphy Robinson MBE, who are both major supporters of the work of WJJ. Giving these children - from the very young to those approaching secondary school age - the opportunity to perform together in front of an audience in such a beautiful setting demonstrates just how important music education is to WJJ and the wider community. There was a brief, entertaining interlude provided by Micol Fusar (piano), one of the emerging talents being supported by WJJ. David Gordon and Christian Garrick Next up was the duo of Christian Garrick (violin) and David Gordon (piano and melodica) playing a selection of original and standard tunes, including the somewhat rare Celia by Bud Powell. It was my first opportunity to hear them perform and then there were insights into their work together when they joined in conversation with Ruth Fisher from Jazz FM and Lead Programmer for WJJ. Ilario and Mari Ruth acted as host for the afternoon and she next introduced another duo - this one featuring Mari Songs (voice) and Ilario Ferrari (piano, guitar and voice). Mari had performed on Friday at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the celebration of David Attenborough's 100th birthday. For the WJJ show, she joined with Ilario on a collection of inspired original tunes, as well as some soul, funk and jazz covers - their version of Stevie Wonder’s As demonstrated their skill, as well as the perfect melding of their two voices. One of the highlights of the afternoon was the performance of Your Journey, composed specially by Ilario and including Mari, David Gordon and bassist Shri Sriram, who was preparing for his own set a little later. Another conversation allowed the audience to get to know Ilario and Mari, sharing the genesis of this new duo project: Ruth once more asked searching and insightful questions. Shri Sriram For me, the highlight of a brilliant afternoon was the jaw dropping close, as Shri Sriram brought his custom bass guitar back on stage with an array of electronics. Shri played tunes from his 2025 album Singing Bass and demonstrated his immense, award-winning skill on both his custom-built bass guitar and some beautiful flutes: the bass was self-built and the bansuri flutes are hand-made from reeds by specialists. Shri’s set was the perfect conclusion to an eclectic afternoon, with his influences from jazz, western and Indian classical music with elements of folk and electronica weaved together. His final tune - Peace - could not have been a better choice. Ruth’s final conversation with Shri evolved into his practical response to an audience question where he demonstrated some of the electronic elements and explained the evolution of his bass guitar and flutes. WJJ is all about collaboration between experts, bringing excellent music to the community, exemplified by the expert in charge of the afternoon’s sound was Miles Ashton, more often found behind the sound desk at Ronnie Scott’s. The wider team includes Chris Newstead and the afore-mentioned Orphy Robinson and Ruth Fisher. Watch out for news of future events from Watford Jazz Junction

The 2026 Watford Jazz Junction Gala Night featured vocalist Emma Smith with her all-star band: headlined ‘Doing It My Way’. And she did. Performances of tunes taken largely from the Great American Songbook can sometimes be a little uninspired, but that was definitely not the case with Emma Smith and her amazing band at Watford Palace Theatre. It was a brilliant way to begin the Watford Jazz Junction weekend of music 2026. Parmiter’s School Big Band Opening the night was the Parmiter’s School Big Band conducted by Stuart Bates on tunes including some real favourites like Route 66, Mack the Knife and A Night in Tunisia. Clearly, the music department at Parmiter’s (a mixed state school in Watford) is in safe hands as there were some promising young musicians. The talented sax section performed well throughout, but particularly on Saxes With Attitude by Michael Sweeney. The show’s hosts were Orphy Robinson (who featured on Harmonious World in November 2025) and Jazz FM’s Ruth Fisher, who have both been active in bringing Watford Jazz Junction to life for the last five years. Ruth mentioned Emma Smith’s strong links to Watford Jazz Junction since it began. A local girl, Emma nevertheless has an international reputation and the band she brought to the Gala Night was equally brilliant. The rhythm section brought together Rob Barron (piano), Tom Farmer (bass) and Luke Tomlinson (drums): each of them acted as a brilliant support but featured through the show in their own impeccable solos. And what a horn section! Four players who hold their own regularly in a variety of ensembles in the UK and around the world. Sax player Alex Garnett (on the tenor sax previously played by Ronnie Scott) also sang the female part in Moody’s Mood for Love, released recently by Emma. Next to Alex were Daniel Higham (trombone), Tom Walsh (trumpet) and Graeme Blevins (clarinet and alto sax). Together, they made their ensemble sound like that of a big band, while each performing extraordinary improvised solos on everything from the gorgeous I've Got You Under My Skin and The Lady is a Tramp to - of course - a sumptuous new arrangement of My Way. Emma’s show was a delight - she really does manage to put her own spin on songs that we might think we know. She’s not afraid to play around with rhythms, melodies and lyrics, while still being true to some real classics. She has an impressive musical heritage that she’s proud of, but her present and future are also musically assured. Check out all of Emma Smith’s music on Bandcamp

The new album from award-winning composer and sax player Hannah Horton - ‘Stories on the Wind’ - is a delightful insight into the musician’s own world, encouraging us all to tell our own stories. Hannah emerges Out of the Shadows on the first track. She’s marking her place as a UK musician of note and - despite the fact that I’ve always thought of her as a baritone sax player - she’s clearly equally at home on tenor. Stories on the Wind feels like a story being told through Hannah’s music and for the second track she spends some time Chasing Daisies as she returns to the bari sax for a gentle, lyrical melody. She’s joined on this album by her very special band: Sam Leak (piano and organ), Rob Statham (electric bass) and Steve Taylor (drums and percussion). Each piece on this album features Hannah’s distinctive voice (often double-tracked in a duet with herself) and her effortless improvisations take her across the range of whichever instrument she chooses to express the sensations and emotions behind her compositions. I particularly love Your Rite (and especially the ambiguity of the title) and the solo baritone at the start is compelling, before she allows the rest of her quartet to join her. ‘Stories on the Wind’ will be available on Bandcamp from 22 May, or catch her live to buy a CD or vinyl

The crowd in the DEYA Arena at Cheltenham Jazz Festival this weekend responded with alacrity to sax player and vocalist Kim Cypher when she began her set asking if they were ready to party. Kim is a vibrant sax player who chooses tunes that entertain and encourage feet to start dancing: her vocals are equally energetic. It was a delight when I interviewed her for Harmonious World in December 2024 and March 2026. There was a host of originals and cover versions that the crowd loved, including a reggae version of Round Midnight and an utterly personal take on Feeling Good. Fayyaz and Kim As well as producing albums on a regular basis, Kim has just released an original single together with fellow tenor sax player Simon Spillett of Blues for David Freeman, dedicated to the renowned jazz and blues DJ. At this Cheltenham gig, Kim was joined by one of my favourite trombonists, Fayyaz Virji, in place of Simon on this track. Fayyaz also gave a gorgeous rendition of the trombone solo on a cover of the Groove Armada tune At the River. Each member of Kim’s band contributed their own backing and solos to enhance the tunes. Together with Kim and Fayyaz on the front line, there was Chris Cobbson (guitar), Alex Steele (keys), Rob Rickenberg (bass) and Mike Cypher (drums). Kim’s party called a vibrant and energetic end for some to this year’s 30th Cheltenham Jazz Festival. You can find Kim’s forthcoming tour dates here, and Fayyaz continues to tour regularly with Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra

British modern jazz at its finest was in evidence when Camilla George performed at the Parabola Arts Centre as part of the Cheltenham Jazz Festival. George’s original writing takes its influence from strong cultural roots, combining Western and African music - she grew up listening to Fela Kuti, Jackie McLean and Charlie Parker and studied with Jean Toussaint, Julian Siegel and Martin Speake. Now she’s developed her own style and brought to Cheltenham a fine band to express it. This really is one of most inventive ensembles and their interaction across the stage was exemplary. From Renato Paris (keys) across to Daniel Casimir (bass) and then Rod Youngs (drums), it’s almost impossible to imagine a better band to sit behind George. When not playing, she mostly crouched down to allow them to shine in a very self-deprecating manner. In 2018, George released The People Could Fly, a brilliant second album that first awoke me to her huge talent as a sax player and composer. Several of the numbers played at Cheltenham came from that collection, including the title track and Tappin the Land Turtle. The 2022 album Ibio-Ibio is to be followed by a new release in the coming months, so watch this space. There was new music in this show, as well as Abasi Isang, Ekpe and The Long Juju Slave Route of Arochokwu from Ibio-Ibio. Jazz sometimes has the power to take you out of your current existence and I got lost in the fine, controlled rhythmic and melodic expression from George and this extraordinary band. Check out Camilla George’s music on Bandcamp

Emma Rawicz brought her ‘Inkyra’ material to Cheltenham Jazz Festival and this is a project that just keeps getting better and better. In the current absence of a live picture, here's one of me with Emma last month The impeccable band brought Emma’s music to life: Inkyra really is an ensemble that includes the leader’s sax but shares the spotlight. There’s a subtlety to the dexterity of Emma’s writing and improvising that allows her to shine alongside the other musicians. With Emma herself on tenor sax, there’s also Gareth Lockrane (flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo), David Preston (guitar), Scottie Thompson (Rhodes, piano, Prophet), Kevin Glasgow (electric bass) and Jamie Murray (drums). I heard the Prophet synth on the album but had never actually been aware of seeing one played live before. It adds an electronic element that sits well with guitar and bass guitar, collaborating musically with the tenor and various flutes. When the big sax solos come, they are huge, powerful and energetic. But Inkyra is very much an ensemble piece and each of the tracks from the album sounded more rounded, reflecting the many tour dates (and presumably rehearsals) undergone to reach Cheltenham. Emma’s arrangements are inspired: the bass opening to Time and Other Thieves and the quasi-rock guitar of Moondrawn (Dreaming), or the various moments of Gareth’s stupendous flute work seem all designed for the specific players. The packed audience was appreciative of the delightful Marshmallow Tree at the conclusion of the too-brief set. I’ve been lucky enough to interview Emma for Harmonious World in January 2025, as well as reviewing Big Visit with Gwilym Simcock in March 2025 and Inkyra when it was released in October 2025. I also reviewed her performances at the EFG London Jazz Festival in November 2024 and 2025. Emma’s upcoming performances include a range of ensembles, so check them out

A packed audience at The Cowshed in the depths of North Hertfordshire were delighted by an evening of jazz with a smattering of humour in the capable hands of Liane Carroll and her trio. Pianist and singer Liane Carroll is someone I’ve heard of and caught snatches of through the years, and it was a delight to hear her in two complete sets at The Cowshed as it celebrated its first anniversary. She brought with her Loz Garratt (bass guitar) and Russell Field (drums), who play regularly with her, but are also much in demand with some of the UK’s other top musicians. As usual, the evening was hosted by The Cowshed's Artistic Director, Italian pianist Marco Marconi. He continues to book performers of the highest calibre in the jazz world and this evening was no exception. Together, the trio wended their way with humour and great dexterity through jazz standards, pop tunes and an eclectic choice that included Tom Waits’s Take Me Home and Laura Nyro’s California Shoeshine Boys. I was particularly delighted by her first two tracks in the second half - Walk Between Raindrops from Donald Fagen’s superlative The Nightfly album and then Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wildside, which only missed Ronnie Ross’s brilliant baritone sax solo from the original. Charismatic is a word much overused but absolutely applicable to Liane. She not only played fantastic piano, but she sang emotively and evocatively and told great jokes. Audience and musicians spent most of the evening smiling, even with some difficult personal stories that put the songs in context. Liane’s mic control is superlative and her vocal range is vast - both in terms of octaves and in dynamics. But she’s a true entertainer and finishing her set with Carole King’s You’ve Got a Friend left us all feeling we were in the presence of friends. I may never have seen a full Liane Carroll performance before, but I’ll be seeking out another one soon. Catch forthcoming jazz performances at The Cowshed and help them in their support of live music and local charities