Articles by: Sammy Stein

Vinyl

Wilko Johnson – Blow Your Mind (2018)

‘Blow Your Mind’ doesn’t sound anything like what you might expect from someone who did a farewell tour not so long ago. This, in fact, is Wilko Johnson near his best.

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Debbie Gifford – Changes (2018)

Filled with a fizzy sense of self-realization, Debbie Gifford’s ‘Changes’ is delivered with song-by-song twists that are uniquely her own.

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Beverley Beirne, jazz singer: Something Else! Interview

Beverley Beirne joins Sammy Stein to discuss her entertaining new album ‘JJWTHF: Jazz Just Wants To Have Fun,’ and the role of coincidence in her art.

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Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective – Live (2018)

Terence Blanchard says ‘Live’ is an album “for these troubled times – yet it’s also an album filled with hope.” He’s right.

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Bill Frisell – Music IS (2018)

This is more than solo recording; it’s a collection of musical narratives, told by Bill Frisell as he creates these amazing aural landscapes.

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Jasen Weaver – The Voscoville (2018)

If Jasen Weaver’s ‘The Voscoville’ is any indication, we are definitely going to be hearing more from this exceptional developing jazz talent.

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Thom Yorke – Spitting Feathers (2006): On Second Thought

‘Spitting Feathers’ feels like part of a journey for Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, but not one which is complete.

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Big Brooklyn – Purpose (2018)

A melding of klezmer, jazz and not a little bit of funk, Big Brooklyn’s ‘Purpose’ is a hugely engaging debut – and the first, hopefully, of many more to come.

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Uri Gurvich – Kinship (2018)

Uri Gurvich’s ‘Kinship’ is a celebration of differences, both cultural and musical, and yet it retains a sense of the great warmth of harmony.

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John Surman – Invisible Threads (2018)

‘Invisible Threads’ offered me the first chance to listen to saxophonist and clarinet player John Surman in a long time – and all I can say is, “wow.”