A few of my favourite places to listen to jazz (and other genres too, at most of them). Chelsea's 606 Club UK Check out one of my favourite venues - London's marvellous  606 Club Jazz Cafe Posk  in Hammersmith: a great, relaxed venue Fairly new on the scene is  Soul Mama  in East London Different venues, plus lots of music on offer at  Boisdale  in Belgravia and Canary Wharf Lots to see and hear at  Kings Place , right next to Kings Cross and St Pancras Don't forget  Ronnie Scott's , which has a range of jazz to suit all tastes Just a little further north in Soho is  Pizza Express  on Dean Street, which also has sister venues in Holborn and on the Kings Road One of my favourite clubs is Dalston's The Vortex Club A blatant plug for the fabulous  Club 85  in my home town of Hitchin. They've just launched a  GoFundMe appeal  to ensure that live music continues, so please take a look. Meanwhile, Luton's Bear Club continues to showcase the best in jazz, blues and alternative music In Milton Keynes, there's also the  Stables Theatre , which often features live music On the UK's south coast is Brighton's Verdict Jazz Club US [more to come - let me know your favourites, wherever they are in the world, and I'll check them out]

With her tremendous, joyous and powerful voice, Emma Smith bombards you delightfully until she knocks you sideways with a disarming ballad. On ‘Bitter Orange’, she demands our full attention with a sweet and colourful set of jazz arrangements. Bitter Orange  begins with a blisteringly brief introduction to Smith’s voice and style, if you need one, with Hey World, Here I am , rapidly followed by I’m The Greatest Star . Smith knows what she’s doing with curation as much as with singing, all beautifully arranged and produced by Jamie Safir. The band allows Smith to shine whether she’s staking her place on these opening tracks or moving on to the comedy of Frim Fram Sauce as she shares the musical stage: Jamie Safir (piano), Conor Chaplin (double bass), and Luke Tomlinson (drums). Throughout this album, Smith‘s personality shines through musically and lyrically in the choice of tracks that pay to homage to her vocal inspirations - there‘s more than a touch of Julie London, Ella Fitzgerald and the marvellous Dame Cleo Laine, who we sadly lost this month. Just listen to her wonderful version of Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered . Smith appeared on Harmonious World in 2022 to discuss her debut album - Meshuga Baby  and Bitter Orange  is a more than satisfying follow-up. This collection welcomes her to the ultra-hip US based LA Reserve Records, with this album launch marking the label’s first British signing. The Noel Coward classic London Pride  allows her to pay tribute to her home, while embracing all that the United States has to offer. Where Smith and long-time collaborator Safir come into their own is the original composition What Took You So Long? : lyrically humorous and a musical tip of the hat to the great songwriters. I‘ve heard Smith sing with big bands and on several occasions performing songs written by the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) founder Bill Ashton and she does like to tell a story. Emma Smith has a great story to tell in both the US and the UK - the only British finalist in the 2023 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and winning the 2024 Parliamentary Jazz Vocalist of the Year. Our story actually began more than 40 years ago when her grandfather (trombonist Chris Smith) suggested I give NYJO a try and I then met her father (trumpeter Chris Smith). It‘s a small musical world. You can catch Emma Smith‘s London launch of Bitter Orange across four shows at Ronnie Scott’s on 6 and 7 August. Emma is justifiably confident in releasing this collection into the world: “This album is my space to play with the juxtaposition of bitter and sweet, humour and heartbreak. There’s camp ridiculousness and raw vulnerability - and somehow, all of that is me. Bitter Orange  is an intimate snapshot of my inner world - the glamour and the mess of a self-making woman, trying to be heard and make an impact in the world today, with a sound from yesterday.“

Out now is ‘Blue Sky Now’, a stunning collection of original songs, created and sung beautifully by Hannah Brine and produced by phenomenal guitarist and band leader Jamie McCredie. Each song on Blue Sky Now feels like a deep exploration of the singer’s soul, with Brine’s mellifluous voice clear and direct in bringing emotion into our ears. This is also an exceptional band behind the voice, with Jamie McCredie (guitar), Hamish Balfour and Jamie Safir (piano), Ian King (bass), Chris Draper (drums) and Freddie Gavita (trumpet), with a string section of Debs White and Dave Larkin (violin), Reiad Chibah (viola) and Julia Graham (cello). Brine created this collection of songs alongside accomplished lyricist and songwriter Michael Garvin, with writing and performing collaborations that allow the singer to still be at the fore. Hannah says: “This album is my life's work and I’ve been able to embrace the styles which have influenced me through my life, from listening to my mum’s Joni Mitchell records growing up, to my love of jazz and ultimately my love of songs. As a child growing up in the 90s, I always wanted to sing with Gary Barlow at a white baby grand - well I’ve performed with him on Strictly Come Dancing, and I’m sure some of his pop sensibility has rubbed off on me too. I write songs to connect to myself, and hopefully they will connect with others too. It's been a dream to work with Jamie and the team and I hope I’ve made my ‘Tapestry’. Though it is a life's work, I feel in some ways it's always the beginning." If you only listen to one track on this album, I would recommend the gentle This Little Ship - it’s a delightful example of Brine singing from the heart, with collaboration on the music from Jeff Franzel and on lyrics with Michael Garvin. It’s the perfect way to say farewell with affection. Blue Sky Now is a lovely album and if you have a chance to hear Brine in performance, it’s well worth it for an engaging and enchanting show, with songs that really feel like they mean something.

Discovering - and resolving - gaps in my musical knowledge is always a delight and this autumn will allow me to explore a celebration of Korean music across London between 1 October and 20 November. I’m particularly excited to hear a collaboration between string trio Hilgeum with innovative London singer Alice Zawadzki. The K-Music Festival 2025 will also provide many more collaborations between Korean and British musicians across all genres, with jazz-influenced chamber and orchestral works and a host of improvisation. Since 2013, London’s K-Music Festival has showcased the diversity and innovation of contemporary Korean music and I am looking forward to experiencing it this year for the first time. The people behind the K-Music Festival are Serious, who produce the EFG London Jazz Festival, this time working alongside the Korean Cultural Centre UK, featuring leading Korean and UK artists at major London venues including the Barbican, Southbank Centre, Royal Albert Hall, and Kings Place. The opening concert - Wednesday 1 October at Kings Place - brings together Korean cellist and composer Okkyung Lee and UK-based electronic artist Mark Fell. They promise a performance shaped by extended techniques, abstract rhythms, visceral improvisation and electronic soundscapes. The following concerts include JAMBINAI together with conductor Robert Ames and the London Contemporary Orchestra, marking the first time a traditional Korean band has headlined the Barbican. Later in October, Korean string trio Hilgeum will make their London debut performing with British vocalist and composer Alice Zawadzki. Acclaimed composer and multi-instrumentalists Park Jiha and Won Il each perform a show, while the quartet Gray by Silver will appear at the Elgar Room, Royal Albert Hall, as part of the Late Night Jazz series. The final concert on Thursday 20 November at Barbican Hall brings a major commission: the world premiere of a new concerto by composer Dong-hoon Shin, written for pianist Seong-Jin Cho and performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. This performance is part of the LSO Futures series and marks a significant collaboration between two leading Korean artists in the field of contemporary classical music. There is a lot on offer for the K-Music Festival 2025 - get your tickets now .

It was something of a surprise to walk past the Lobkowicz Palace on the way out of Prague Castle and to find a board announcing a classical concert just a few minutes later. Tickets acquired, we made our way to the beautiful Concert Hall to join an expectant audience of around 50 people. It’s never easy to ascertain whether members of the audience are passers-by who happened in out of curiosity or deliberate attendees from the locality, or even tourists who have booked their tickets weeks in advance. Certainly, they all appeared to enjoy the experience. A trio of excellent musicians proceeded to perform a selection of pieces, most of which would be familiar to music lovers. Adam Dvoracek (piano) accompanied Lucie Maskova (flute) and Dagmar Maskova (viola) on most of the pieces, arranged with care and expertise for this somewhat unusual ensemble. The trio opened the concert with Boccherini’s Menuet  and the audience palpably relaxed in recognition of a tune, the composer of which they may not have known. Similarly, ending with Smetana’s Polka  was inspired, as the composer was proudly Czech and his work provides great examples of this nation’s music. Throughout the concert, the trio performed individually and in pairs with impressive virtuosity, whether Mozart’s solo piano Turkish March  or the gorgeous viola and piano rendition of Dvorak’s Largo from New World Symphony . Just as the concert in Vienna was a somewhat spontaneous surprise, so, too was this one in Prague Castle. Both showed the virtuosic high standard of musicians in Central Europe.

When approached on the streets of Vienna by a smartly-dressed young man wielding a clipboard and images of musicians in performance, it was hard to resist his sales pitch. After all, classical music is almost obligatory on any visit to this impressive city. Palais Schonborn (built in 1699) includes an impressive concert hall that combines a sense of courtly congregations and a history of chamber music performance. Here, today, in the heart of Vienna, the Barockorchester  performs music composed over centuries by celebrated composers. With the first violin - the impressive Valbona Naku - playing every note perfectly, with enthusiasm and from memory, the tone for the evening is set from the first stroke of the bow. Professional musicians are everywhere in Vienna and the eight gathered in the Schonborn Palace were fine examples. Each one - piano, two violins, viola, cello, contra bass, soprano and tenor voices - set about captivating the audience with confidence and much of the music memorised to perfection. Determining the repertoire for an evening such as this is made to look effortless, beginning with Mozart’s celebrated Eine Kleine Nachtmusik , which doubtless put much of the audience at ease. This was not going to be an evening of unfamiliar music, challenging as it might be for the musicians. Dipping in and out of opera and the chamber repertoire gave a delicate cadence to the performance and the audience loved it. There was some genuine virtuosity from every performer, as the strings weaved above and around the piano. When joined by the two singers, the drama intensified and the operatic sense of performance was presented with ease and musical dexterity. To say I was surprised by the performance would be true but somewhat unfair - Vienna was never going to provide anything less than professional. However, the obvious pleasure of the musicians and the enthusiasm of the audience made this a truly brilliant evening of Viennese musical magic.

Thank you for coming over to find out more about me. Each of the pages here will tell you more and this section contains all my music reviews of live and recorded music across a vast variety of genres. The idea behind my reviews is to help you discover new music. There is so much creativity in the music industry and I will help you uncover the really good stuff. When I began writing about music, I thought I would focus on jazz and classical, but I soon discovered that there is a huge amount of crossover and many influences from other genres, so the whole idea of classification has gone out of the window. You can read my regular reviews on here and all my past reviews over on the Blogger archive. From time to time, I will reference those historic reviews and there is always plenty to read there with a great search function.

Having seen the totally marvellous Nicole Zuraitis performing live in London in July 2024 with her London trio, it is a delight to hear the singer with a larger ensemble. ‘Live At Vic’s’ allows this vocalist, pianist and songwriter to wow the audience in the eponymous Las Vegas jazz club, as well as listeners to this new CD. From the opening blues Got My Mojo Working through the gorgeous swinging The Nearness of You and the comic I Like You a Latte (the Coffee Song) , the Grammy-winning Zuraitis plays with the audience as much as with her eminent band. Speaking of which, this is just a lovely ensemble, including long-established musical partner Dan Pugach (drums) plus Idan Morim (guitar) and Samuel Weber (bass). Special guests are Keyon Harold (trumpet), Rachel Eckroth (organ) and Tom Scott (sax). When I saw her in London, Zuraitis was still celebrating her 2024 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal album with How Love Begins : particularly historic as she was the first independent artist to win in this category (who also wrote and arranged the entire album themselves). Now she is also part of the Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble alongside partner and collaborator Dan Pugach for Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence , inspired by their mutual passion for rescuing and fostering dogs. Not only did I catch Nicole on stage in July 2024, but I also interviewed her earlier this year for Harmonious World. Listen to our chat here . Zuraitis explains something of what makes Live at Vic’s so special: “It’s jazz. The magic of it is the improv. So the songs are 11 minutes, and everybody’s shredding. I wanted to make an album for people of songs that I adore. This feels like the pinnacle of my career to get onstage and go: This is what I sound like. Every single thing on this album is arranged by me or written by me. It’s all live, unedited. No auto tune.  Everything is here.” If you only listen to one track from this album, make it the terrific arrangement of Wichita Lineman - seven minutes of jazz and vocal gymnastics that made me immediately check out Zuraitis’s tour dates to see where I can hear her next.

Never be afraid to find new music to enjoy - it may be closer than you think. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Hitchin Chamber Orchestra was the perfect opportunity for the ensemble to commission a special piece by the town’s very own composer and pianist Iain Farrington . Iain Farrington and HIlary at the premiere of Talk of the Town Talk of the Town  is a suite of five movements for string orchestra and I had the chance to speak to Iain about his approach to the composition and something of his background on Harmonious World . Although living and working in Hitchin, he is an internationally renowned composer, pianist and organist and was recently made a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music alongside luminaries such as Alexis Ffrench, Pretty Yende, Brian Eno and Gary Crosby. The concert followed weeks of rehearsal and this lovely string orchestra, expertly conducted by the young and ridiculously-talented Daniel Hogan , performed a selection of their favourite works by Ireland, Vaughan Williams, Rutter, Finzi and Elgar alongside the Farrington premiere. If you listened to our podcast chat, you'll have heard Iain's commentary on Talk of the Town, and where the inspiration came from. Hitchin is a quaint English market town with a long history and for those of us, the motifs included in the music were reminiscent of all the town stands for and the people who make it special. Iain collaborated with the orchestra to create a work that is significant and achievable by the collection of professional, semi-professional and gifted amateur musicians. The five movements that make up Talk of the Town - Saturday Market The Font of St Mary's; Sledging on Windmill Hill; Farewell, Old Home; and Town Square Celebration - are individual yet make up a cohesive whole, although it feels very much like the final movement could be arranged for different ensembles and become something of a town theme tune. Regardless of future performance or recording opportunities of Talk of the Town , this world premiere was a perfect example of the excellent composing and performing of which Hitchin can be justifiably proud. The encore was inspired - Percy Grainger’s Handel in the Strand , with Farrington at the piano. It brought the evening to a perfect conclusion and was a touching way to conclude the celebrations of Hitchin Chamber Orchestra's Tenth Anniversary.

The final day of Love Supreme began not with music, but with a panel discussion chaired by Barney Jones, looking at the day’s news. Panellists were insightful and fascinating - Iain Dale, Ann McElvoy, Catherine Meyer and Anand Menon - with discussion of everything from the future of UK party politics to free speech and incitement, and special mention of the Glastonbury/BBC coverage last weekend. The first musical event of the day was bassist Daniel Casimir with his big band. In these days when this large ensemble format is prohibitively expensive for most composers, it’s truly wonderful to see a collection of musicians like this - most of them, I’d pay good money to see individually. Dan Casimir with his Big Band, including Camilla George (far right) and Binker Golding on MD duties Next up, I caught a little of another bassist - Amy Gadiaga - and just a few minutes of Jazz FM award winning corto alto. Amy Gadiaga The afternoon passed in snatching glimpses of bands and some truly outstanding jazz. The Pete Roth Trio One of my choice shows of the festival was the Pete Roth Trio with Mike Pratt on bass and the legendary drummer Bill Bruford. This is quite a new ensemble but it has come together brilliantly, with a real sense of collaboration between these great British jazzers. I loved the combination of simplicity and complexity as the musical ideas passed between the three players, with rhythmic and melodic themes were carried effortlessly across the stage. Between interviews for a special Harmonious World episode, I caught a little of Branford Marsalis and then finished Love Supreme 2025 with amazing, inventive jazz from the Neil Cowley Trio and then Avishai Cohen with his quartet. I'm hoping to get the former on as a guest to talk about the revamping of his trio. Cohen's stunning set included work from his stunning Ashes to Gold album. This is stunning music, with the trumpeter also moving on to an ethereal, evocative flute. The Neil Cowley Trio Avishai Cohen A fabulous afternoon and early evening with some class, inventive and intuitive acts. Love Supreme 2025 may be finished, but some of these performances will stay with me. The good news about all the artists I missed is that many of their sets will be replayed on Jazz FM. Hear interviews and more on the latest episode of Harmonious World PS - latest news! The organisers have announced today that the 2026 edition, which will take place from Friday July 3rd - Sunday July 5th, will feature three days of Main Stage programming for the first time. Reflecting the festival’s continued growth and ongoing evolution, next year’s event will expand beyond its traditional Saturday and Sunday Main Stage schedule to also include headline performances on the Friday.    Super Early Bird tickets for Love Supreme Jazz Festival 2026 are on sale now from lovesupremefestival.com .

Saturday was grey, with rain on and off, but the music was absolutely on fire. My day began in fine style with Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band on the Supreme Standards stage. I reviewed their gig at Ronnie Scott’s a couple of weeks ago and the second hearing didn’t disappoint. Such life and invention that’s not easy to achieve in such a large ensemble, but Fergus Quill manages it brilliantly. It was good to chat with him after the performance and that forms part of my Love Supreme special episode of Harmonious World . Ferg’s Imaginary Big Band A brief experience of Another Taste on the North Downs stage, before the fabulous bilingual singer songwriter Gaby Moreno was introduced to the South Downs stage by Nigel Williams from Jazz FM. The trouble with Love Supreme is that it’s just impossible to see everyone and I missed Poppy Daniels but caught an excellent recording of Jazz Shapers on Jazz FM with Elliot Moss, chatting with Gary Crosby and Janine Irons. Together, they founded the powerful and effective Tomorrow’s Warriors and have such a fascinating perspective on music education, which is truly inspirational. Janine Irons, Gary Crosby and Elliot Moss The main stage was dominated in the early afternoon by WAR , which I caught briefly before heading back to the South (slightly smaller and indoor) stage to hear Chucho Valde s. His set was (so far) my highlight of 2025: the drum/percussion battles were extraordinary alongside bass and, of course, Valdes’s piano. If you want to hear latin jazz done best, you wouldn’t go far wrong with checking out his catalogue. Chucho Valdes Because Valdes was so captivating, I missed Brian Jackson (erstwhile collaborator with the late, great Gil Scott-Heron), but was then able to watch an entire set by Stanley Clarke . Another jazz giant who, much like Valdez, has a young band who are continuing to carry his musical flame: his slap double bass has to be heard to be believed. Clarke was one of the founders of the jazz fusion movement and he's definitely still got those chops. Stanley Clarke (centre) with Emilio Modeste on soprano sax Clarke’s sax player ( Emilio Modeste ) was another stand-out musician and that led me nicely across to the Supreme Standards stage to catch Lakecia Benjamin . What a player! Her alto sax playing is off the scale and she totally owned the stage. It was a delight then to choose to see Kassa Overall who followed her onto the Supreme Standards stage and there, once more, was Emilio Modeste. Overall brought another impressive set to Love Supreme and it’s hard to choose which of these performances will be my highlight of today. The band he had with him are releasing an album soon, and I’ll definitely be reviewing it. Kassa Overall on drums with his phenomenal band Starting with Fergus Quinn and ending with Kassa Overall proved just how inventive the jazz world is right now. It’s an exciting place to be observing and reviewing. You can hear more about the weekend with some interviews on the latest episode of Harmonious World

The UK’s biggest green field jazz festival happens at Glynde Place, a few miles north of Brighton, close to the south coast. 2025 sees the 12th Love Supreme Jazz Festival and it felt bigger than ever. Friday is typically the quietest day, although there was a real sense of excitement as soon as the stages opened at 5pm. Certainly, by early evening the camp sites were looking full and the food stands were doing a roaring trade in everything from vegan curry (which kept me going!) to venison burgers. And all around, there’s great music playing. Even on the camp site, everyone appeared to have a portable speaker with a variety of sounds emanating and mingling: it was all very friendly and tent erecting seemed to have become a team sport in which anyone can get involved when tent poles don’t seem to match. This music brings good natured souls together and we’re all united in the hunt for dynamic music that is either new, exciting or familiar. Toby Lee Before I’d heard more than a few bars of young and upcoming blues man Toby Lee in the Supreme Standards tent, I bumped into Jazz FM presenter Simon Phillips . A few more minutes and it was time for Jamila Woods on the South Downs stage, followed swiftly by Durand Jones and the Indications . Both of these artists are well-respected and clearly have a huge following, given the size of the appreciative audiences. For many of the audience members, the cost of a weekend ticket is based on seeing one favourite artist and then everyone else is a bonus. Jamila Woods Durand Jones and the Indications Final show (for me) was Mama Terra , back on the Supreme Standards stage. This is proper British (actually Scottish) jazz, with a global perspective. Their line-up is impressive and from the very opening bars their sound filled the tent and the surrounding field. One of the stunning acts currently setting the Acid Jazz scene on fire and then dancing around the flames, Mama Terra is a new outfit that’s only been around for a couple of years, but clearly they’re already finding a following: Friday night was bouncing. Mama Terra You can hear more about the weekend with some interviews on the latest episode of Harmonious World