I have been fortunate in attending many concerts around the UK in the past few years, especially since my Harmonious World podcast has taken off. In January 2024, I travelled the short distance to the beautiful St Albans Cathedral, just a few miles north of London. The occasion was the world premiere of saxophonist Tim Boniface's marvellous and moving suite - 'Psalter: Themes for Peace'. You can read my review here or hear my interview with Tim here but - even better - you can now enjoy the recorded version, which is out now on AudioB records . Composed by Boniface and recorded with the composer on sax together with the original band that I heard for the premiere, Psalter: Themes For Peace is a wonderful jazz suite based on six ancients texts on peace from the Hebrew book of Psalms. Boniface is in a special position to compose and record such a collection, as an ordained priest and chaplain at Girton College, University of Cambridge. As well as being a spectacular sax plater, he is also artistic director of Girton Jazz, a unique programme of public concerts and student workshops at the College. Alongside the sax player himself, the musicians are impressive: James Pearson (piano), Malcolm Creese (bass) and Jon Ormston (drums and percussion). Pearson is Artistic Director of Ronnie Scotts and Musician In Residence at Girton, while Creese has collaborated with jazz legends Kenny Wheeler, Dame Cleo Laine, Stan Tracey and many others. Ormston, meanwhile, is well known for his work with a host of UK jazz musicians including Eliot Galvin, Guy Barker and more. Collectively, this is the perfect band alongside Boniface's sax to perform his compositions. Just as I heard Psalter: Themes for Peace performed live, so the album was recorded live at Girton with no edits or overdubs to create a live ‘in the moment’ feel. This is not a religious work, as such, but is jazz influenced by sacred texts and with a focus on the intentions of peace. For those among you living or visiting London in August, I highly recommend tickets for the performance of Psalter: Themes for Peace at Southwark Cathedral on 9 August. Once more, the Tim Boniface Quartet will be performing the suite under the artwork Peace Doves by Peter Walker. To buy the album visit either  www.timboniface.co.uk/shop or timboniface.bandcamp.com

In June 2020, I released the first episode of my podcast -  Harmonious World  - and I had no idea how much delight it would bring me to share conversations with musicians from around the world. Just a few of the guests I met in person Whether you're a guest, a listener or one of the collaborators who have helped me find my guests, thank you! I now have listeners in 2, 475 cities across 129 countries, so wherever you are, welcome to our collective musical attempts to make the world more harmonious. Season 20 guests were: Chris Gall Sultan Stevenson Fotina Naumenko Quinn Sternberg Tara Minton for International Jazz Day Nicole Zuraitis Dave Keech Ute Lemper Vonn Vanier Iain Farrington Cecilie Strange Becca Wilkins Dave Handler

I love it when ‘new’ instruments come to my attention in jazz contexts and completely open my mind. That much is certainly true of ‘Impermanence’, the new album from harmonica player Yotam Ben-Or and his quintet. I’m particularly embarrassed that this is the Israeli-Belgian harmonica player’s third studio album but the first time I’ve heard his playing. It’s not just the unfamiliarity of the harmonica as a lead instrument in jazz - this is a great album that has a genuine global feel. When you learn of Ben-Or’s exposure to music from Europe as well as early sounds in Israel and time spent studying with experts across South and Central America, it all makes sense. He says: "I called it Impermanence because, unlike my previous albums, I strived for acceptance rather than perfection. Instead of controlling everything and reworking it in the studio, I was interested in the flow between us musicians and the songs." Ben-Or has maintained his established quartet for Impermanence , with Gabriel Chakarji (piano), Alon Near (bass) and Alon Benjamini (drums). Their collective work makes me want to revisit the earlier albums that I have missed. Alongside this core are special guests Lars Danielsson (cello), who absolutely and audibly shines on Ballad for Daniel . Similarly, Esther Quansah (voice) on Trying finishes the album beautifully with vocal phrasing that both matches and complements the harmonica. Ben-Or’s writing on all eight original tracks allows all the instruments to feature within the harmonica’s sound world. Listening to Impermanence has reminded me of the great harmonica players and especially the genius of Toots Thielemans. This is harmonica for a new jazz age.

Launching an EP at London’s Vortex Jazz Club is pretty cool and even on a hot evening Germana Stella La Sorsa and Tom Ollendorff produced the coolest duo jazz to launch their new release - ‘After Hours’. Germana and Tom Singer and storyteller Germana Stella La Sorsa and guitarist Tom Ollendorff present After Hours - a captivating jazz duo EP. The launch event at The Vortex Jazz Club in London’s trendy Dalston area was laid back and the perfect, intimate setting in which to hear some of the tracks alongside other tunes performed by this duo. Released the morning after the Vortex gig, After Hours is the perfect interplay between La Sorsa’s mellifluous voice and Ollendorff’s expressive guitar. A collection of six original compositions and familiar songs, the arrangements allow the duo to complement each other throughout. The pair began the launch event as they begin the EP itself, with a gentle arrangement of the classic Lennon and McCartney Because: sweet, with a real jazz approach that makes it the duo’s own. By the third tune, also from the EP, Procida , there was a clear sense of the Ollendorff-La Sorsa sound with this original composition. While After Hours celebrates well-known composers and songwriters from a wide spectrum including tunes by Brazilian composer Pixinguinha as well as The Beatles, the original tracks complement those selections. La Sorsa says: “After the release of my latest work Primary Colours , I felt the need to return to the origins of my voice, focusing even more on my instrument rather than on new original compositions. Tom and I had already worked as a duo on one of the songs composed for my frst album Vapour and I knew he would be the ideal partner to give vent to my artistic need of returning to the essential.Thinking about After Hours - and even before working on the music with Tom - I could hear a simple sound and I knew I wanted to create something completely different from my previous albums.” Click here to hear Tom Ollendorff talking about his own album, Open House . The perfect soundtrack for a hot summer's evening, After Hours works equally well when the rain starts to fall and a more melancholy tone sets in.

One of the best ways of discovering new music - for me, at least - is to research the other musicians on stage. Asking a few questions has brought me to the simply stunning ' L'Antidote ' album from percussionist Bijan Chemirani, pianist Remi Khalifé and cellist Redi Hasa. All because the latter's cello deeply moved me when I saw him performing recently with Ludovico Einaudi at the Royal Albert Hall. I loved Hasa's playing for Einaudi and it was a delight to hear that he had a forthcoming album due with L’Antidote trio . The first single, Na Na Na is out now to whet your appetite. This is a genuinely extraordinary trio - geographically, culturally and musically. Using percussion, piano and cello in this collection of ten tracks allows an exploration of the influences from these three musicians: Chemirani from Iran, Khalifé from Lebanon and Hasa from Albania. I can only suggest you put the album on repeat and allow each track to play in sequence to explore the collective composition and creativity of L'Antidote. Each of these musicians has collaborated with a string of the biggest names in music around the world and together they produce something very special. Tracks like Dates, Figs and Nuts will make your feet itch to dance: it builds rhythmically and melodically with each musician contributing layer upon layer of sound. Closing the album with the plaintive cello opening to L'Ombre Qui Passe (the passing shadow) is extraordinary. Lines interweave and a piano melody sits alongside on this poignant, all-too-brief ending to a stunning collection of tracks.

I’m late to the party on this album, but I found ‘Letters from the Atlantic’ again in my ‘To Listen To’ pile and I’m glad it resurfaced, just as Butcher Brown  are preparing to embark on a tour  across the US and Europe. Although Letters from the Atlantic  was released back in March, there’s a summer vibe to it which makes a summer day reviewing it more than perfect. Their cover of Infant Eyes  by Wayne Shorter is as sublime as their original tracks, such as the uber-cool I Remember , which features Yaya Bey. The core band of five - Tennishu (trumpet, tenor sax, vocals), Morgan Burrs (Guitar, MPC), DJ Harrison (keyboards, piano, percussion), R4ND4ZZO (basses) and Coret Fonville (drums, percussion) - is enhanced by guest artists, just as they appear on others’ musical enterprises. If you want some cool tunes that effortlessly blend jazz, rock, funk, R&B, soul and bossa nova, look no further.

We are a little obsessed with Carla Bley's new album, released in May to coincide with her 80th birthday. Andando el Tiempo  combines Bley's artistry as a composer and a pianist with the skills of her long-established trio. This is music that allows Bley on piano to intertwine with Andy Sheppard's tenor and soprano saxes and bassist Steve Swallow. Bley always manages to combine a sense of the classical and jazz.This album is trio playing as a true collaboration, perhaps showing something of the two decades of exploring this same group of musicians. The three instruments interweave, sometimes seeming separate and then coming together beautifully. Bley once described herself as "one per cent player and ninety-nine per cent composer" but this album would hold a different magic with a different pianist. She has a lightness of touch in both composition and playing that allows the music to resonate. The three part title composition tells the story of the difficult road to recovery from addiction, Andando el Tiempo (In the Course of Time) ,  but anyone with no experience of addiction will still find this a stunning piece. Three sections each have their own character. Sin Fin  feels dance-like and does, indeed, seem to be without end, as it segues perfectly into Potacion de Guaya , with the sax taking barely a breath. There is, indeed, a sadness to this second movement and its intended to portray the grief of those around an addict. The third movement - Camino al Volver  - begins with a beautiful phrase that spans the length of the piano keyboard. It's probably my favourite few seconds of this album, followed by sax stabs that develop into a real trio section that playfully gives each instrument the chance to shine. If this talks about addiction, the end presents the way to return to the title. Perhaps there's no cure for addiction, but there may be a path to take back to some normality. The three movement work stands as a great composition and a masterful performance on this album, regardless of Bley's intended meaning. The final two tracks on the album add new opportunities for trios to show off their artistry. Saints Alive  is a tasteful vehicle for the trio. Naked Bridges/Diving Brides  was written as a wedding present for Sheppard and his wife Sara. Sheppard's soprano is masterful as it dances between the piano and bass lines. It's a great trio composition and a fitting way to close the album. Andando el Tiempo  is one of those albums which improves with age. There are depths of composition and nuances of performance which jump to the ear only over time. *** This review was originally posted on KindofJazz.com ***