USA's Downbeat Magazine gives four stars to Kyle Eastwood's latest album!
★★★★ Leo's got the Mojo! ★★★★
Mojo Magazine gives 'The Chase' Four (4) Stars!
USA Publication Selects Camilla George's 'Isang' as One of Best Albums!
StereoGum pegs CGQ at #3...Wow!
Leo's Tour: Triumphant Ending!
The Quartet plays to a packed house at Pizza Express Soho, with special guests Alan Skidmore, Jim Richardson & Quentin Collins
Leo Richardson, Conor Chaplin, Alan Skidmore, Ed Richardson
Leo Richardson, Jim Richardson, Alan Skidmore
Rick Simpson, Leo Richardson, Conor Chaplin, Ed Richardson
Rick Simpson, Leo Richardson, Quentin Collins, Alan Skidmore, Conor Chaplin, Ed Richardson
Alan Skidmore, Leo Richardson
Sunday Times Chooses Richardson's 'The Chase' as Best of 2017!!!
LRQ's debut is one of the Top 100 of all music; one of the Top 10 in jazz.
LRQ Storms the Opus 4 Jazz Club!
Show of the year? Just ask 'Bebop Spoken Here'!
ECM Goes Digital!!!
Finally, the world's most prestigious jazz label enters the 21st century.
Huge news for fans of Keith Jarrett, Steve Reich, Pat Metheny, Arvo Pärt, John Abercrombie, Vijay Iyer, and countless other seminal jazz, contemporary classical, and New Age artists and composers: The ECM Records catalogue is coming to Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and all major streaming services. Previously, the Munich-based label had remained a steadfast holdout against streaming, though compilations of the biggest works by some of their most significant artists and some newer releases recently surfaced on Apple Music.
Now, ECM has announced that, under a new distribution deal with Universal Music, the entirety of their dense catalogue will be available on streaming by this Friday, November 17. It spans just under 50 years. Many releases are already available, including influential, genre-bending LPs like Keith Jarrett’s The Köln Concert, the original 1978 recording of Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians (and other Reich works), Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa, Meredith Monk’s Dolmen Music, Paul Bley’s Open, To Love, and many more.
In their statement, the label specified that the reason for the change in policy was “unauthorized streaming of recordings via video sharing websites, plus piracy, bootlegs, and a proliferation of illegal download sites.” They emphasized that they believed it was “important to make the catalogue accessible within a framework where copyrights are respected.”
Dee Dee Loves Cammy!
London Jazz News' review of Camilla George's opening set for Dee Dee Bridgewater at Cadogan Hall:
"'The world is safe because we have Camilla,’ said Bridgewater earlier, after London-based alto-player Camilla George’s support set. George played with an assured calmness. Her pieces were based on African stories: a magic turtle, a spirit who takes the form of a mermaid (Mami Wata.) There was some Coltrane/Rollins influence in her thoughtful playing, supported by the excellent Daniel Casimir (bass) and Winston Clifford (drums.) Creative pianist Sarah Tandy brought a strong technique and sense of stillness to a ‘ballad for naughty children.’
You felt the future of jazz was in good hands."
Kind of says it all...
Around the LJF World in +10 Days —Gonzo Journalism from a Diehard Jazz Fan
Preface: This pastiche is decidedly biased, as it is written by someone in the business—as a manager, record label owner, agent and talent spotter—whose love for jazz exceeds all in his life, other than his love for his family. I’ve chosen to highlight my relationships with each artist/band, along with a sound bite performance rating, to protect the innocent. Otherwise, I’ll simply take the 5th Amendment.
Harold Mabern, Eric Alexander, Daryl Hall, Bernd Reiter
Martin Hummel, Harold Mabern
Harold Mabern
Martin Hummel, Eric Alexander
Harold Mabern, Eric Alexander
Sunday, 19th November
Bernd Reiter New York All-Stars, featuring Eric Alexander & Harold Mabern
Pizza Express Soho (Full)
Eric Alexander is undoubtedly one of the best living tenor sax players in the world. When you pair him with the legendary Harold Mabern on piano, and throw in John Hall/bass and Bernd Reiter/drums, you have a mesmerizing cocktail of straight-ahead take-no-prisoners mainstream bop. Although technically not included in the LJF program, this quartet is world class and it was a brilliant way to end a spectacular EFG London Jazz Festival.
Relationship: In Development
Performance: Immaculate
Around the LJF World in +10 Days —Gonzo Journalism from a Diehard Jazz Fan
Preface: This pastiche is decidedly biased, as it is written by someone in the business—as a manager, record label owner, agent and talent spotter—whose love for jazz exceeds all in his life, other than his love for his family. I’ve chosen to highlight my relationships with each artist/band, along with a sound bite performance rating, to protect the innocent. Otherwise, I’ll simply take the 5th Amendment.
Andrew McCormack, Quentin Collins, Daniel Casimir, Shane Forbes
Andrew McCormack, Tom Harrison, Leo Richardson, Quentin Collins, Daniel Casimir, Shane Forbes
Martin Hummel, Noemi Nuti
Tom Harrison, Martin Hummel, Leo Richardson
Martin Hummel, Goatious Foot
martin Hummel, Georgia Van Etten
Martin Hummel, Quentin Collins
Martin Hummel, Luc Saint Martin
Andrew McCormack, Quentin Collins, Daniel Casimir, Shane Forbes
Sunday, 19th November
Quentin Collins Quartet
Pizza Express Soho Lunch Show (Sold Out)
Trumpet/flugelhorn ace Quentin Collins is mixing things up with a new band and some pulsating, soulful sounds. His latest line-up included Andrew McCormack/piano, Daniel Casimir/bass and Shane Forbes/drums. The audience was clearly ready for this one, as the band played a range of Collins’ compositions, including Peace of Silver, in tribute to the late master and performed by the Kyle Eastwood Band. It was a special one, and places Collins right back on the front foot of outstanding lead trumpeters in this country.
Relationship: Yes
Performance: Thrusting