Not so long ago, the UK jazz scene looked like it was in trouble. Audience numbers were dwindling and it became harder for musicians to get gigs, especially for those new on the scene. You May Also Like: Paul Jolly, free jazz musician, club owner and producer: Something Else! InterviewRead More

Asked what inspired him, jazz double bassist John Edwards has an instant reply: “Everything inspires, musically.”

By day, it is just another cafe. However, at night Cafe Oto is a very different place.

I’m a firm believer in the power of live music. The experience is even more important for freely improvised music. You May Also Like: Daniel Carter, William Parker, Matthew Shipp – Seraphic Light, Live at Tufts University (2018) Paul Jolly, free jazz musician, club owner and producer: Something Else! Interview

When I approached my contacts in the music industry with the idea of a series of articles attempting to look at the development of free jazz, many jumped at the chance to offer their thoughts and ideas. You May Also Like: ‘All That’s Jazz,’ by Sammy Stein (2017): Books LondonRead More

Whenever Peter Brötzmann brings his reeds, he brings the wood, too. That’s the case today just as much as it was the case during his career-defining Machine Gun days. You May Also Like: Peter Brotzmann, Majid Bekkas + Hamid Drake – ‘Catching Ghosts’ (2023) Peter Van Huffel’s Gorilla Mask –Read More

It’s that time of year again. Time for the Monadnock region’s fantastic music/arts festival that goes by the name The Thing in the Spring. You May Also Like: Peter Brotzmann + Heather Leigh – Ears Are Filled With Wonder (2016) Flow Trio with Joe McPhee – ‘Winter Garden’ (2021)

When compiling my lists of best jazz records, broken up into 3 distinct areas of jazz, I used three criteria for inclusion on one of these lists: 1. Is it good enough? (duh) 2. Is it jazz? (duh) -and- 3. Have I already reviewed it in some form or another?Read More

This is saxophonist Peter Brötzmann with cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, though it in no way sounded like Kenny G with Yo-Yo Ma. It was recorded in an “industrial urban warehouse district.” It’s on the Atavistic label (read: not easy listening). Brötzmann scares me. He claims to be playing a saxophone butRead More

by Mark Saleski I have to purchase my Peter Brötzmann only very occasionally because it takes a while to get over the blatant intensity. Recorded at the Molde International Jazz Festival, this is really what European improvised jazz is all about. Well, maybe not all, but certainly a side ofRead More