Jazzwiseの November 2025 の目次

Clubs, free stages and Jazz Social festival hub complete 2025 EFG London Jazz Festival line-up The EFG London Jazz Festival has unveiled the final details of its 33rd edition, running from 14 to 23 November, with the ambitious core programme complemented by a packed club programme; free stages; and the return of the pop-up Jazz Social venue, which hosts a series of talks and intimate performances. Highlights of the club shows includes vocalist and playwright Somi making herJazz Café debut (22 November), bringing her blend of African and American sounds drawing on jazz, theatre and activism to the stage in Camden. Over in Soho, Ronnie Scott’s presents a week of shows kicking off with trumpeter Yazz Ahmed (16 Nov) performing her distinctive blend of Arabic sounds and electronic textures. Pianist…

It’s hard to believe we’ve arrived at another EFG London Jazz Festival – it feels like only yesterday we were celebrating last year’s line-up. This year’s programme expands to reflect jazz’s ever-evolving sound and its increasingly borderless stylistic range. This month’s cover stars, Shabaka Hutchings and Camilla George, represent a generation of UK artists who have embraced the rich cultural diversity flowing through not just the capital but the country as a whole. Their spotlight also coincides with the 20th anniversary of Serious’ Take Five development scheme, which has long provided mentorship and education to young musicians to discover their voices. Myself and Jon Newey also participated in these workshops to share our insight and pass on our knowledge. This milestone will be marked in grand style with a multifaceted…

Berlin’s prestigious Jazzfest Berlin is set to return from 30 October to 2 November, Thiswillbethefestival's62ndedition, with27concertsacross the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, A-Trane, Quasimodo, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. The programme, now published in full, features 120 musicians from more than 20 countries. The festival, led by artistic director Nadin Deventer, spans across multiple styles of jazz – from free improvisation and hip-hop to lyrical soloists and large ensembles. It also continues its founding mission of fostering international exchange and cultural dialogue, with the opening concert on 30 October at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele featuring Angelika Niescier, Tomeka Reid, and Eliza Salem. Other highlights include New York saxophonist James Brandon Lewis with his Quartet, composer and trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith performing with pianist Vijay Iyer, and guitarist Mary Halvorson’s…

The word polymath might have been coined to describe bassist Danny (Daniel Henry Edward) Thompson (also known latterly by his Muslim name Hamza). His jazz career alone was more wide-ranging than many other players, ranging from teenage work in New Orleans bands around Battersea (where he grew up after moving from Devon aged five), to early sessions with Tubby Hayes, John Burch and John McLaughlin, and later work with everyone from Stan Tracey and Ronnie Scott, to his own group Whatever (from 1987), with multi-reed players Paul Dunmall and Tony Roberts, plus guitarist Bernie Holland. But that ignores his army service, playing trombone, an instrument he continued to play into the 1990s with occasional appearances with the Ipswich Fire Service Band and other local brass groups. As a bassist, the…

Taking in more than 350 shows from 2,000 artists, the 10-day EFG London Jazz Festival is an all-encompassing experience that refuses to be pinned down to any one theme or even musical genre. For its 33rd edition, invited artists include US neo-soul singer Bilal, British Indian composer Shri Sriram, Japanese jazz luminary Hiromi, British saxophonist Jason Yarde and sarod maestro Soumik Datta, all performing their own interpretations of improvisation. The programme veers from orchestral ensembles to impromptu solo shows and community-led workshops, yet festival director Pelin Opcin sees a certain unifying thread tying together the range of events occurring throughout the city. “It’s about global connections in a time when we need them more than ever,” she says. “We’re providing an open platform for artists from all over the world…

Looking back at the time when I was involved in Take Five, I’d have to say that it was simply a privilege to have been a part of the project. I remember always being slightly nervous before meeting the participants each year. I had read their CVs and discovered that many of them had already recorded a number of CDs, had music college degrees or were members of exciting sounding groups and I was always doubtful that I would be of much help. However, once the music-making began, everything began to fall into place. In those days the idea was that that each artist would bring a composition to share with the others and my only responsibility was to try and make sure that everyone had the chance to work…

Seascape Alma Records ACD50252 (CD, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Norma Winstone (v), Mike Murley (ts, ss), Florian Hoefner (p, acc), Jim Vivian (b) and Joe LaBarbera (d). Rec. 16-17 September 2023 Fans of the inimitable Norma Winstone are in for a huge treat with this wonderful debut album from the Atlantic Jazz Collective. With just one exception – a stellar version of Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin’s ‘This Is New’ from their hit Broadway musical Lady in the Dark – the songs are all originals, for which Winstone has penned exceptional new lyrics. The Atlantic Jazz Collective, a trio featuring bassist Jim Vivian, saxist Mike Murley, and pianist Florian Hoefner, are joined by Winstone and drummer Joe LaBarbera for this recording. Winstone and LaBarbera are old musical acquaintances, having performed together…

Cat and the Hounds Turtle Bay TBR25005CD (CD, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Catherine Russell (v), Colin Hancock (ct, c-mel), Dion Tucker (tb), Evan Christopher (cl, ss, as), Jon Thomas (p), Jerron Paxton (bjo, g, v, hca), Kerry Kewis (tba) and Ahmad Johnson (d). Rec. 7–9 November 2024 Vocalist Catherine Russell’s rise and rise continues, this time with a very well-presented album, carefully produced, which consciously seeks to evoke both the atmosphere and performance styles of typical ‘race’ recordings of the 1920s, all badged as ‘A 1920s Jazz And Blues Centennial’. Where Russell, whose musician parents were themselves of signal importance in Harlem’s wider jazz scene, had previously recorded, successfully, with some of New York’s best white main streamers, here she is accompanied by a band of younger African American specialists in…

Disquiet Northern Spy CDNS 174 (3 CD, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Chris Abrahams (ky, org, p), Lloyd Swanton (b) and Tony Buck (d, perc). Rec. date not stated Four decades into their extraordinary career as The Necks, Messers Abrahams, Swanton and Buck have done it again – and then some. On Disquiet, their 20th studio recording, the trio stretch their immersive, shape-shifting sound across three discs and more than three hours of labyrinthine, intense improvisation. There are only four tracks: the organ-heavy 'Causeway' and the shimmering 'Warm Running Sunlight' (with some lovely electric piano and superb cymbal work) last 26 and 32 minutes respectively; the slowly-shifting 'Rapid Eye Movement' lasts 57 minutes; and the colossal, hypnotic epic 'Ghost Net', a kind of summit meeting between one of CAN’s 'Ethnological Forgeries Series'…

Extraordinary Journey Ireton Records IRO1CD (CD, LP, DL) Carl Gorham (d), Jason McDermid (t), Alistair White, Martin Gladdish (tb), Pete Long (cl, as, ts), Anthony Kerr (vib), James Pearson (p), Alec Dankworth (b), Satin Singh (perc), Sarah Moule and Romy Sipek (v). Rec. 17-19 September 2024 Our review in Jazzwise 289 of the first in drummer Gorham’s series of explorations of his great-uncle Sir George Shearing’s musical legacy suggested the need for a second volume – and here it is. The initial album was on the late Martin Hummel’s Ubuntu label and it‘s pleasing to note a dedication to him on this new one. Shearing’s own ‘Bop, Look and Listen’, (recorded by his famous quintet in February 1947) is given a very punchy treatment, with a neat interpolation from Pearson.…

magsubscriptions.com/music-jazzwise subscriptions@markallengroup.com +44 (0) 1722 716 997 Never miss an issue of the UK’s only print and digital jazz magazine Jazzwise has been at the heart of the global jazz scene since the magazine’s launch in 1997, changing the way jazz publications look and think for the last three decades, with a stunning editorial and design package that reaches out worldwide to both the new jazz audience and established fans – qualities that have led to it winning Jazz Publication of the Year at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards, the Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Awards and the Jazz FM Awards. Why should you subscribe? ▶ 11 new print and digital issues during the year ▶ Full access to every issue of Jazzwise with over 290 editions in our searchable digital archive and…

Silver In Seattle: Live At The Penthouse Blue Note BLUN 1987311 (CD, LP, DL) RECOMMENDED Horace Silver (p), Woody Shaw (t), Joe Henderson (ts), Teddy Smith (b) and Roger Humphries (d). Rec. 12 and 19 August 1965 The latest product of Zev Feldman’s researches is the first Penthouse recording to be released through Blue Note. This makes a lot of sense, given that Silver’s tenure with that label was almost exclusive (up to 1980 only one album, Silver’s Blue, appeared on a different imprint and that was a consequence, I believe, of his breakup with Art Blakey). The Blue Note relationship lasted 26 years, only exceeded by Miles’ 30 years with Columbia – contrast that with Brubeck’s mere 17 years with the same label. Also worth noting is that, while…

BBC RADIO 2 88-91 FM and DAB Jamie Cullum show (Tues, 9pm) BBC RADIO 3 90-93 FM and DAB 'Round Midnight (Mon-Fri 11.30pm) Jazz Record Requests (Sun, 4pm) BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC DAB Gilles Peterson, Sat 3pm JAZZ FM DAB, Sky, Alexa, smartphone, tablet and online at jazzfm.com (Mon – Fri) 6.30am-10am Jazz FM Breakfast with Nigel Williams, 10am-2pm Danielle Perry, 2pm-6pm Afternoon drive with Simon Philips, 6pm-7pm Jazz FM’s Greatest, 7pm-9pm Jazz FM’s Dinner Jazz with Mark Walker. (Mon) 9pm-10pm Future Jazz with Ruth Fisher; 10pm-midnight Late Nite with China Moses. (Tues) 9pm-10pm Jazz Travels with Rouhangeze Baichoo; 10pm-midnight Late Night with China Moses. (Wed) 9pm-10pm Jazztronic with Dom Servini; 10pm-midnight Late Night with China Moses. (Thur) 9pm-10pm The British Jazz Show with Helen Mayhew; 10pm-midnight Late Night with…

The 100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World is an exclusive 100-page definitive guide to the most important and influential jazz albums that have gone on to change and shape the course of the music from the 1920s to the present day. • Print-only, premium quality, publication edited and conceived by Jazzwise’s editor-in-chief Jon Newey • The first time a fully annotated top 100 jazz album countdown from 100 to No.1 has been published in book form • Includes new in-depth editorial on each album from Jazzwise’s acclaimed team of writers, plus in-depth features on the making of the top three albums, a look at the albums that almost made the cut and a guide to buying the featured titles on LP and CD “This superbly written assemblage is an engrossing…

Christian’s short spell in the spotlight was almost exclusively in the ambit of Benny Goodman’s sextets from 1939 to 1941. It was only after his death that live recordings made (for Columbia University student radio!) at the latterly famous Minton’s Playhouse were released, first on 78rpm and then LP – one of those spectacular flights was highlighted in our Across The Tracks series (Jazzwise 262). However, it was his commercial recordings with Goodman that showed his revolutionary ability to solo like a horn, and with a fluid blues-inflected vocabulary that impressed listeners and fellow musicians alike. An almost random example from the relevant tracks is the medium-tempo 12-bar blues ‘Benny’s Bugle’, recorded 7 Nov 1940, with the line-up including Cootie Williams (on his first recording after leaving Ellington), tenorist Georgie…

Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club has announced the reopening of its upstairs space, following a major redevelopment of the iconic Soho venue. The newly designed 140-capacity auditorium, Upstairs at Ronnie’s, is scheduled to relaunch in February 2026 after extensive refurbishment – the most significant since the club’s 2005 relaunch. The first-floor venue, which had hosted a busy live programme until it closed for refurbishment in 2024, 24, has been rebuilt as an intimate space for live performance. The redesign includes a Yamaha S3X grand piano, an upgraded stage, enhanced Yamaha and D&B Audiotechnik sound systems, improved acoustics, and a new kitchen led by executive chef Steven Connolly. Programming will expand beyond jazz to include contemporary soul, R&B, gospel, hip-hop, classical, and global music. The space will also introduce its own version…

It was only 10 years ago that we lost one of the greatest male jazz singers of them all: Mark Murphy. Half-forgotten now he may be, but Murphy’s true legacy exists in the effect he had on other singers. Kurt Elling, Curtis Stigers, Tina May, Ian Shaw, Lily Dior… all of them have been profoundly influenced by what Murphy showed them. The musicians he recruited to accompany him all quickly realised they were receiving a jazz education. “We felt like little schoolboys sitting in a classroom,” said pianist Misha Piatigorsky of one recording session. Trumpet player Till Brönner, who produced two late albums with Murphy, added: “For me, only Frank Sinatra has the same ability to make me feel he is speaking to me when he sings. The others just…

Shakti Mind Explosion Abstract Logix ABLG 712 (CD, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Zakir Hussain (tabla, chanda, madal, konokol), Shankar Mahadevan (v, konokol), Ganesh Rajagopalan (vn, konokol) and Selvaganesh Vinayakram (kanjira, mridangam, ghatam, konokol). Rec. 2023 During Shakti’s lifetime at least, this is the final Shakti album, a select number of hugely gifted musicians from the Indian sub-continent graced their bandstand, but none more important than the group’s co-founder Zakir Hussain, who died on 15 December last year. He was an irreplaceable loss, and his contribution here, especially on tabla, fills out the ensemble sonically as well as rhythmically. McLaughlin’s role, mediating the ebb and flow of the music, is worthy of close attention as he seamlessly moves between two very specific music cultures, that of India and the West. Voice, too…

Rites & Revelations New Soil NS0149CD/LP (CD, LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Laura Jurd (t), Ultan O’Brien (vn, vla), Martin Green (acc), Ruth Goller (el b) and Corrie Dick (d). Rec. date not stated Anyone who’s listened to early thirty-something trumpeter Laura Jurd’s past recordings will be aware of her wittily genrebl-ending compositional approach and colourfully layered arranging skills. But this new recording zooms in on just one influence of hers above all others and that’s folk music. For Rites & Revelations Jurd has gone back to basics in some sense composing her own simple folk-like themes but with a bold, raw and darkly explosive new sound when performed by her new quartet. In this context Jurd is at her most Miles-ishly penetrating on trumpet while Ultan O’Brien’s violin/viola and Martin…

It’s On! Nervy Nigel Records NervyCD006 (CD, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Nigel Price (el g), Ross Stanley (org) and Joel Barford (d). Rec. 7 and 8 July 2025 Hardest working man in show business Nigel Price returns with his regular trio and a new album of originals (each accompanied by a conscientious exposition in the liner notes), a standard and a pair of modern jazz numbers by Joe Zawinul and Art Pepper. Recorded in a couple of days in the studio, it’s a compellingly candid exposition of all the qualities that’s made Nigel and his trio such a perennial attraction wherever jazz audiences gather across the UK. The organ trio is a pragmatic formula that was partly created out of economic necessity and has its own set of well-defined stylistic tropes:…

Gabriel Alegría Afro-Peruvian Sextet El Muki Saponegro Records For 20 years, this sextet has carved a singular space in jazz, blending Lima’s folkloric pulse with New York’s improv. El Muki channels blazing horn solos from trumpeter Alegría and saxophonist Laura Andrea Leguía across cracking grooves from the full-throttle rhythm section, bass lines bouncing off percussion and nylon-string guitar, all held together with fine arrangements. (MF) Kevin Brunkhorst After The Fire Calligram A collection of seven original compositions from the US guitarist, demonstrating both his gifts as a composer and his technical facility on his instrument. The bass/drums/tenor sax/trumpet accompaniment complements Brunkhorst’s lean, melodic lines perfectly. (KW) Harry Brunt Carolina Peaches EP Clonmell Jazz Social Saxophonist Brunt steps away (briefly) from his award-winning Howl Quartet to lead this delicately thunderous fusion…

Larry Coryell/Badi Assad/John Abercrombie Three Guitars Chesky Original Masters EVSA2981S (CD/SACD, LP, DL) Larry Coryell, John Abercrombie (g) and Badi Assad (g, f, perc, v, kalimba). Rec. 19–20 December 2002 The Fred Hersch Trio Dancing In The Dark Chesky Original Masters EVSA3072S (CD/SACD, LP, DL) RECOMMENDED Fred Hersch (p), Drew Gress (b) and Tom Rainey (d). Rec. 3–4 December 1992 Chuck Mangione The Feeling’s Back Chesky Original Masters EVSA3078S (CD/SACD, LP, DL) Chuck Mangione (flhn), Cliff Korman (p, arr), Gerry Niewood (f, af), Jay Azzolina (g), David Fink (b, el b), Kip Reid (el b), Sarah Carter (clo), Paulo Braga (d), Annette Sanders, Jackie Presti, Maucha Adnet (v) and Café (perc). Rec. 19–23 October 1998 Chesky is a famed audiophile label founded back in 1986 by US brothers David and…

Gena Davies: Festival Photographer for Brecon Jazz festival, 1984-2024 Photographer and artist Gena Davies, who died in July, was something of a legend in her own time, much like many of the musicians she captured on film. In her book with David Moore, The Brecon Jazz Story in Photographs (2013), Gena recounted how she developed the distinctive photographic techniques she used as the festival years unfolded. Her images were striking, empathetic, a visual feast, and often taken in the challenging lighting and logistical conditions of packed-out concerts or street crowds. Gena had early interests in art, sculpture, drawing, and self-learning, and she carried through many parallel interests long into her senior years. Friends recall how she featured in early editions of TV’s Mastermind and Brain of Britain, later becoming a…

Saxophonist, rapper, and composer Soweto Kinch will reunite with the London Symphony Orchestra this November for Soundtrack to the Apocalypse, the explosive finale to what has been described as “a landmark trilogy of politically charged works”. The performance takes place at the Barbican Centre in London on Thursday 13 November. Kinch’s trilogy has been praised for pushing the boundaries of British jazz, hip hop, and orchestral music. It began with The Black Peril (2019), exploring the aftermath of the First World War and anti-black race riots in the UK and US, and continued with White Juju (2022), a tone poem “shaped by lockdown life, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the ‘culture wars’”. Soundtrack to the Apocalypse ventures into speculative and futuristic territory, combining apocalyptic imagery with spiritual reflection and…

Oh no, not the ‘C’ word… not that one, we meant Christmas! And yes, that means we are now in the throes of the autumn rush to release something that might just fit in a loved one’s stocking… So among the choices arriving between now and late November is the latest orchestral opus from those Grammy-winning groovers Snarky Puppy, as they reunite with their Dutch pals the Metropole Orkest, 10 years on from their much-lauded first collaboration, Sylva. This time they unleash the groove-busting, string-laden behemoth of its follow-up, Somni. Conductor Jules Buckley once more swings his baton to corral the combined forces of the Pups, a vast army of string players, and no less than four drummers. It’s definitely something that will get your jazz party started… Also soon…

There will be a shroud of sadness hanging over this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival. One of the key headliners, Brazilian multi-instrumentalist-composer Hermeto Pascoal, who was due to play the Barbican in November, has died at the age of 89. His dedicated British and European audience would have relished the opportunity to see what may have been his last trip to these shores (there had been reports of his declining health for some time). Yet the aforesaid venue carries something of his spirit, as Pascoal had appeared there many times, collaborating with both A-list UK soloists and NYJO. Pascoal was known as ‘O Bruxo’ (‘the wizard’) because of his ability to create the most spellbinding sounds, by using, alongside horns, rhythm section and voices, anything that served his limitless imagination,…

The complete studio recordings of Bill Evans' legendary trio with bassist Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian (drums) are collected on the forthcoming 5-LP, 3-CD set Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings – released via Craft Recordings on 21 November. Featuring the two studio albums Portrait in Jazz (1960) and Explorations (1961), along with no fewer that 26 alternate versions and outtakes, 17 of which have never been released before. All audio in the set was produced by Nick Phillips and mastered by award-winning engineer Paul Blakemore, with lacquers cut for the vinyl edition by Kevin Gray. Technology known as Plangent Processes has been deployed to restore the sound. The LP set comes with rare photos, a fold-out poster, and new liner notes by jazz writer Eugene Holley Jr. (DownBeat)…

Bea Asurmendi Asteartea Self-release/Bandcamp (CD, DL) Bea Asurmendi (v) plus various personnel including Gianluca Corona (g), Milena Granci (p), Giovanni Cresseri (el b, b) and Filippo Galli (d). Rec. date not stated London-based Basque artist Bea Asurmendi delivers a stunning debut which weaves contemporary jazz through Iberian folk, featuring compelling songs across three languages: Basque, English, and Spanish. The scene-setting opener, ‘Otsemeak’, begins with a chant by the women in Asurmendi’s family, a dynamic invocation of sisterhood brought to life through the rich interplay of voice, udu, pandero cuadrado, and bass. Among the album’s standouts, 'Enodia' serves as an utterly beguiling ode to inner freedom and intuition, with singing that goes straight to the heart. 'Yo estaba allí' offers a heartfelt lockdown elegy cast as an intimate guitar/vocal duet, reflecting…

Kinetika Bloco Live From The Vaults Banger Factory BF008 (LP, DL) Various musicians including Kaidi Akinnibi, Shayanna Dyer-Harris, Misha Fox, Jermaine Amissah, Mark Kavuma, Ruben Fox, Richie Seivwright, Marlon Hibbert, Sheila Maurice Grey, Femi Koleoso and many more. Rec. date not stated Pete Horsfall Electric Relaxation Banger Factory BF009 (DL) Pete Horsfall (cornet), Joe Webb (p), Will Sach (db) and Sam Jesson (d). Rec. date not stated Mussinghi Brian Edwards Mussinghi Banger Factory BF011 (DL) Mussinghi Brian Edwards (ts), Trevor Edwards (tb), Mark Kavuma (t), Jason Brown (d), Artie Zaitz (org), Marcina Arnold (v), Eric Appapoulay (el b, g) and Arielle Appapoulay (bv). Rec. date not stated Banger Factory Records is the creation of trumpeter, bandleader and sharp dressed man-about-town Mark Kavuma. Ostensibly a record label, Banger Factory is as…

For Dinah Candid Records CND33801 (CD, LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Ledisi (v) plus various personnel including Michael King (p), Christian McBride (b) and McClenty Hunter Jr (d). Rec. date not stated From portraying gospel giant Mahalia Jackson in Ava DuVernay’s acclaimed Selma and the biopic Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story to earning a Grammy nomination for her Nina Simone tribute, the mighty Ledisi has proven herself a supreme interpreter of music history’s most important voices. She now turns her attention to one of the 20th century’s most influential singers, Dinah Washington. Enveloped by an exquisite arrangement, her utterly beguiling timbre welcomes us into this heartfelt homage with ‘What a Difference a Day Made’. She also reveals her deep feeling for the blues in 'If I Never Get To Heaven'…

Inkyra ACT Music ACTCD/LP 8018 (CD, LP, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Emma Rawicz (ts, ss), Gareth Lockrane (f, af, bf, picc), David Preston (g), Scottie Thompson (p, el p, syn), Kevin Glasgow (el b) and Jamie Murray (d). Rec. date not stated Starting with a richly layered intro of mournful analogue chording, strangely reminiscent (for listeners of a certain age) of the oeuvre of successful 1980s ambient hit maker Enya, then a twisty, precisely articulated unison riff that launches a tenor sax solo of striking virtuosity and invention, followed by a progtastic synth exploration that cumulates in an explosive drum solo – the prodigiously hardworking Emma Rawicz is never shy of making the bold statement, and this album is perhaps her most assertively confident yet. At the helm of a tight…

The Ellington Piano Project – Eastbourne 1973 Reimagined: Echoes From The Duke’s Last Recording Rubicon Jazz RJZ1004 (CD, DL) EDITOR’S CHOICE Arnie Somogyi (b, v), Mark Edwards (p, org, perc, bjo, acc), Gideon Tazelaar (ts), Matthew Holmes (d) plus guests Sara Oschlag (v), Ashley Slater (t, tb) and Jon Newey (perc). Rec. 28 and 29 October 2024 Simon Spillett’s accompanying essay points out it’s not exactly unusual to participate in tributes to Ellington (my last contribution was an album done in 2003) but this one has a unique angle, as explained by Kevin Whitlock’s feature in Jazzwise 310. In addition to celebrating the composer’s last new commercial release (Eastbourne Performance, released on RCA in November 1974), it serendipitously employs the same piano used at the theatre where that performance took…

Pepper Adams Pepper Adams Quintet Gammaut/Mode LP112 (LP) RECOMMENDED Pepper Adams (bs), Stu Williamson (t), Carl Perkins (p), Leroy Vinnegar (b) and Mel Lewis (d). Rec. 12 July 1957 Adams was doubtless deemed worthy of this debut album because he’d recently spent several months in the Stan Kenton band (during the period when Stan had Mel Lewis on drums). Already in his late 20s, Adams was like a supercharged Serge Chaloff – highly fluent in an aggressive, inventive bebop style, as if nobody had told him this was impossible on baritone. The whole quintet sounds up for it, with the early stereo separation making clear the contributions of the Indianapolis-nurtured team of Perkins and Vinnegar, while Lewis’ excellence may surprise those who only associated him with big-band work. The now-forgotten…