Recent Releases

March 2025
Some Recent Releases

A few words about recent releases / reviews:

Apart from where they are included in articles on this website, I don't have a 'Reviews' section for a number of reasons:

I receive so many requests to review recordings it is impossible to include them all.
Unlike some publications/blogs, Sandy Brown Jazz is not a funded website and it is not possible to pay reviewers.
Reviews tend to be personal opinions, something a reviewer likes might not suit you, or vice versa.
It is difficult to capture music in words, so much better to be able to listen and see whether the music interests you.

For these reasons in particular I just include a selection of recent recordings below where I share the notes issued by the musician(s) as an introduction and links to samples so you can 'taste' the music for yourselves. For those who like to read reviews, these, of course, can be checked out on other sites.

Some albums are priced in dollars or other currencies. These are marked ^. There are currency options if you proceed to order. Recordings are now regularly available on different formats (CD, mp3 downloads, vinyl) or platforms e.g iTunes, Spotify, etc. I am unable to list them all so it is worth checking if you have a favourite platform).

Featured In March 2025

UK

Dave Manington's Riff Raff - Weightless
(Lamplight Social Records) - Released: 14th February 2025

Brigitte Beraha (vocals/co-composer); Tomas Challenger (tenor saxophone); Ivo Neame (piano, keyboards); Rob Updegraff (guitar); Dave Manington (double bass); Tim Giles (drums)

Dave Maningtons Riff Raff Weightless.jpg

'Over a decade of collaboration has refined Riff Raff into a tightly woven ensemble. Their music combines intricate composition with dynamic improvisation, creating moments that range from delicate and lyrical to raw and electrifying. Weightless is a testament to this chemistry, blending poignant melodies, richly textured harmonies, and rhythmic fluidity. Manington’s compositions delve into themes of freedom, isolation, and transformation. The title track evokes the awe and uncertainty of drifting through space, while pieces like Strike the Harp and River Swim are steeped in personal reflection and vivid imagery. Brigitte Beraha’s lyrics and improvisational artistry add another layer of depth, shining throughout the album.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Weightless : Listen to Hold It : Tea Break with Dave :

The Emily Masser Quintet- Songs With My Father

(self release) - Released: 31st January 2025

Emily Masser (vocals); Dean Masser (tenor saxophone); Matyas Gayer (piano); James Owston (bass); Steve Brown (drums)

'Songs With My Father features a mix of modern twists on jazz standards and also highlights Emily’s vocal approach to bebop. The songs and arrangements explore a range of moods: from the DNA-fuelled soli sections to the more reflective side in ‘Song For My Mother’ and ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’, which Emily first sang at her mother’s funeral. Meanwhile, tracks like ‘Dat Dere’ tap into the fun, silly side of the father-daughter relationship, with a vocalese reflecting how Emily and Dean’s bond has changed over the years. Speaking about the album, Emily says: “Songs With My Father is an album I made in memory of my Mum, Gill, who passed away just before I moved to London to study at The Guildhall. Many of these songs were her favourites, and recording them with my Dad has been such a special experience, bringing me closer to both of them. Working with him on this album was incredible, and I’m so grateful to have played with such an amazing band….I’m beyond excited to share this album, and I hope if my mum is listening, she’s smiling wherever she is.” (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to I'll Be Seeing You : Listen to Dat Dere :

Billy Marrows Grande Familia Sextet - Mount Tibidabo
(self release) - Released: 29th November 2024

Billy Marrows (guitar); Mike Soper (trumpet 1,3,4); Tom Ridout (soprano/tenor saxophone 1,3,4); Olli Martin (tenor/bass trombone 1,3,4); Flo Moore (electric bass); Tom Potter (drums)

'The track 'Mount Tibidabo' is a musical representation of Billy's journey to the top of Mount Tibidabo and back... This trio version of 'A Grande Família' features Flo Moore on bass and Tom Potter on drums, improvising on the original "lead sheet" for Grande Família's signature tune, which was the first single of the 'Penelope' album. 'The Heron' is inspired by a card Billy received from American friends of his mum informing him that one of them took the photo of Penny in her youth used inside the 'Penelope' album. The card features a heron playing an orange accordion with the tale of Bruce Balfour Great Blue Heron on the back. The EP ends with a sextet arrangement of the beautiful traditional American sea shanty Shenandoah, expanding upon the solo guitar version that concluded the 'Penelope' album.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to The Heron : Listen to Shenandoah

Joe Armon-Jones - All The Quiet (Parts I and Part II)
(Aquarii Records) - Released: 28th March 2025

Joe Armon-Jones (piano, composition) with various artists including Nubya Garcia (saxophone); Oscar Jerome (guitar); Goya Gumbani (vocals); and more.

Keyboardist, producer and songwriter Joe Armon-Jones shares his most elevated solo project to date, All The Quiet. A galvanising statement of intent, traversing jazz, funk, dub, hip hop, and soul music, entirely written, produced, and mixed by Armon-Jones himself. All The Quiet (Part I) is the first chapter of a two part album, released on his own label, Aquarii Records. Guest musicians & features include Nubya Garcia, Oscar Jerome, Goya Gumbani, and more (album notes).

Details and Sample (Part I) : Listen to Kingfisher : Details (Part II) :

Yazz Ahmed - A Paradise In The Hold
(Night Time Stories) - Released: 28th February 2025

Yazz Ahmed (trumpet, flugelhorn, handclaps, programming & ululations);George Crowley (bass clarinet & handclaps 2, 8); Ralph Wyld (vibraphone, marimba 1, 8) & handclaps 2, 8); Naadia Sheriff (Fender Rhodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10), piano 4, 6, 9), Roland JX-03 1, 10) & handclaps 2, 8); Dudley Phillips – bass 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10) & handclaps 2, 8); Martin France (drums & handclaps 2, 8); Corrina Silvester (percussion & handclaps 1, 2, 7, 8); Alcyona Mick (Fender Rhodes 4, 5, 9); Samuel Hällkvist (guitars 2, 4, 9); Dave Manington (bass 4, 5, 9);Natacha Atlas (voice 1, 4, 8); Brigitte Beraha (voice(3, 4, 5, 6) & handclaps 2, 8); Randolph Matthews (voice 3, 9, 10); Alba Nacinovich (voice 6, 8); Jason Singh (voice 9) & additional programming (2, 3, 5, 8, 9); Samy Bishai (violin 1); Noel Langley (flugelhorn 2, 4), handclaps 7) & additional programming 1); Engineer Family (chatter & ululations 7).

'Yazz Ahmed, hailed as one of the most influential trumpet players of her generation. An Ivor Novello award winning composer who makes sweeping epics that are rich with storytelling, depicting evocative ancient worlds and mythological muses. With her fourth studio album, A Paradise in the Hold, the British-Bahrani musician dives even deeper into her dual heritage and has come up with a treasure trove that draws on traditional music and stories from her childhood home. Ahmed writes for the voice for the first time, with lyrics inspired by Bahraini wedding poems and the yearning songs of the pearl divers. Deeply textural, expansive and full of potent performances, the album charts the heroic voyages of the jewel-hunters of yore, who sailed home through rough seas with precious cargo, and Ahmed’s own voyage of self-discovery over the past decade. “A thread in my work has been searching for, establishing and, now, finally embracing and celebrating my cultural identity,” she says. Whereas she explored Arabian music more generally with her earlier material, this release is more explicitly linked to her homeland. “If my first album, 2011’s Finding My Way Home, represents the first steps on this path then with A Paradise In The Hold, I’ve arrived at a deeper understanding of how my British and Bahraini heritage can co-exist, in personal as well as musical terms.”......... (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Into The Night : Listen to A Paradise In The Hold :

Alison Rayner Quintet - SEMA4

(Blow The Fuse Records) - Released: 7th March 2025

Alison Rayner (bass); Deirdre Cartwright (guitar); Steve Lodder (piano); Diane McLoughlin (saxophone); Buster Birch (drums)

'SEMA4 is the new album from ARQ, the Alison Rayner Quintet, recorded at the Vortex Jazz Club in Dalston, East London. This thrilling performance was not originally planned for release, but after listening to the recording, bassist-composer Rayner knew the band had created something that may not have happened in a studio. “You sometimes have to compromise on certain things with a live recording but I felt we had achieved a great vibe and energy, something really special.” ..... these are top-notch musicians who have 12 years of shared history, and the strong bond between the players is absolutely crucial to Rayner. “I wanted the sensibility of a group where you rehearse together and work together and didn’t want a situation where I’d have deps,” she explains. “That to me felt very important, to establish a connection, where you’re writing for people in the band. When you work with people for years then you’re really hearing the way they play.” ........... (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Semaphore : Listen to Trip Dance :

America

Ingrid Laubrock - Purposing The Air
(Pyroclastic Records) - Released: 11th April 2025 [2 CDs]

Ingrid Laubrock (saxophone, composer); Fay Victor, Sara Serpa, Theo Blackmann, Rachel Calloway (voice); Mariel Roberts (cello); Matt Mitchell (piano); Ben Monder (electric guitar); Ari Streisfeld (violin)

'Ingrid Laubrock is a saxophonist/composer based in Brooklyn since 2009. Laubrock is interested in exploring the borders between musical realms and creating multi-layered, dense and often evocative sound worlds. Purposing The Air marks yet another adventurous exploration in a career marked by bold innovations. The album continues Laubrock’s engagement with the voice, following the blend of orchestra and choir on Contemporary Chaos Practices (2018). Purposing the Air is an expansive collection of 60 miniatures setting the words of poet Erica Hunt and her emotionally incisive piece “Mood Librarian – a poem in koan.” Approaching the poem’s succinct two- or three-line fragments as separate compositions, Laubrock tailored each of them for one of four duos ...... As the composer explains, “The texts of the poem are open and concise, often cryptic, but still poignant and relatable. Some I connected with immediately and viscerally, while others were more like evocative images or fun impressions. They really lend themselves to the song form in my mind.”

Details and Samples : Listen to Koan 13 :

Sylvie Courvoisier & Mary Halverson - Bone Bells
(Pyrocastic Records) - Released: 14th March 2025

Sylvie Courvoisier (piano); Mary Halvorson (guitar)

Sylvie Courvoisier Mary Halvorson Bone Bells.jpg

'Out March 14, 2025, Bone Bells splits its compositions evenly between the two artists, alternating their contributions from one track to the next. Both insist that the credits shouldn’t be considered so strictly defined, however, as each piece has been shaped by the collaborative process during rehearsals and performances. That’s been the case since their 2017 debut, Crop Circles, through their acclaimed 2021 follow-up, Searching for the Disappeared Hour. On Bone Bells, Halvorson’s eerily mournful title track is followed by Courvoisier’s tempestuous “Esmeralda,” named after a sculpture by the Dutch artist Cornelis Zitman, which veers from elegant to eruptive. The guitarist’s “Folded Secret” is built on a labyrinthine, cyclical vamp puctuated by Courvoisier’s percussive prepared piano, while the pianist’s “Nags Head Valse” is a delirious danse macabre that shares its name with a British pub the two encountered while on tour ........' (album notes)

Details and Sample : Listen to Bone Bells :

John Patitucci - Spirit Fall
(Edition Records) - Released: 14th February 2025

John Patitucci (acoustic and electric bass); Chris Potter (tenor and soprano saxophone); Brian Blade (drums)

'John Patitucci stands as a towering figure in the global jazz scene, renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to modern jazz fusion and beyond. His bold new album, Spirit Fall, marks an exciting new phase in his career as a leader, featuring his trio with the extraordinary Brian Blade and Chris Potter, and stands as one of the most significant new signings to Edition Records. Patitucci’s exceptional versatility across acoustic and electric bass has set a new standard in contemporary music, influencing generations of bassists worldwide. Collaborating with icons like Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock, his work has defined the sound of jazz for decades, particularly his role in Corea’s Elektric Band, which helped shape jazz fusion’s evolution. A multiple Grammy Award-winner, his virtuosity and ability to span genres have made him a vital force in jazz...... (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Think Fast : Listen to Spirit Fall :

Ambrose Akinmusire - Honey From A Winter Stone
(Nonesuch Records) - Released: 31st January 2025

Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet); Kokayi (vocals); Sam Harris (piano); Chiquitamagic (synths); Dustin Brown (drums) + Mivos Quartet.

Ambrose Akinmusire Honey From A Winter Stone.jpg

'The inimitable trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire stands among the most creative and ambitious musicians of his generation. His new outing, Honey From a Winter Stone, is a visionary collection of originals inspired by the work of composer Julius Eastman. Here, Akinmusire channels the fears and struggles of Black men, striving to deepen emotional expression while adhering to well-constructed frameworks. The album’s five original compositions are vivid and powerful, fusing elements of jazz, classical, and hip-hop to forge an authentic style where ethos and cohesion take center stage. “Muffled Screams” evokes a near-death experience Akinmusire survived, beginning with Sam Harris' plaintive piano lines, supported by Justin Brown’s cymbal colorations and tom-tom eruptions. Akinmusire balances texture and color, crafting a shimmering lyricism whose elongated tones intensify both melancholy and primal cries. ..... ' (JazzTrail)

Details and Samples : Listen to Muffled Screams:

Jon Irabagon - Server Farm
(Irabbagast Records) - Released: 21st February 2025

Jon Irabagon (tenor saxophone, sopranino saxophone, effects); Mazz Swift (violin, vocals); Peter Evans (trumpet, flugelhorn);
Miles Okazaki, Wendy Eisenberg (guitar); Matt Mitchell (piano, Fender Rhodes, Prophet-6); Michael Formanek (acoustic bass); Chris Lightcap (electric bass); Dan Weiss (drums); Levy Lorenzo (kulintang, laptop, electronics, vibraphone)

'Saxophonist/composer Jon Irabagon stands as a pivotal figure in the contemporary jazz universe, with a catalog of starkly expressive albums that exemplify excellence in creative, improvised music. This year, he presents Server Farm, an electrifying work that explores the threats and promises of A.I. To realize this vision, he leads a super electro-acoustic ensemble with an unconventional instrumentation. New sonic avenues are constantly emerging in this cutting-edge experience, beginning with “Colocation”, brilliantly introduced by Levy Lorenzo’s kulintang (a system of gongs)......

(JazzTrail)

Details and Sample : Listen to Routers :

Europe and Elsewhere

Arild Andersen - Landloper

(ECM Records) - Released: 29th November 2024

Arild Andersen (double bass, electronics)

'Arild Andersen, one of jazz’s most widely acclaimed bassists, presents his first solo album. Characteristically broad in its musical scope and creative range, Landloper was recorded primarily at Oslo’s Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene (with one piece recorded at Arild’s home). Choice of repertoire in this recital reflects on Arild’s artistic journey, and, alongside Andersen originals (“Dreamhorse”, “Mira”, “Landloper”), we find Norwegian traditional music (“Old Stev”), a romantic jazz standard (“A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square”), and new light cast upon free jazz classics (Albert Ayler’s “Ghosts”, Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman”, Charlie Haden’s “Song for Che”). Andersen’s performances combine his masterful bass playing with real-time creation of electronic loops that bring an atmospheric dimension to solo playing and fresh opportunities for interaction.' (album notes)

Details and Sample : Listen to Ghosts / Old Stev : Listen to Lonely Woman / Song For Che :

Christos Yerolatsitis Trio - Daydreaming
(PKMusik) - Released: 14th March 2025

Christos Yerolatsitis (piano); Grigoris Theodoridis (double bass); Attila Gyarfas (drums); Special Guests: David Lynch - (saxophone); Michalis Tsiftsis (guitar)

Christos Yerolatsitis Trio Daydreaming.jpg

'The Cypriot pianist and keyboardist Christos Yerolatsitis is a forward-thinking musician whose eclectic tastes have led him to explore the forever-changing musical landscape where different music genres blend into one another. Having previously worked with world-renowned musicians such as Erik Truffaz, Ranjit Barot, and Masa Kamaguchi, Yerolatsitis now brings his own compositions to the forefront. He joins forces with Greek double bassist Grigoris Theodoridis and Hungarian drummer Attila Gyárfás—an unconventional trio that stretches beyond traditional jazz roles. On tracks like “Cactus,” the drummer’s wide-ranging rhythmic palette and the bassist’s improvisatory style form a distinctive, forward-thinking soundscape. A centerpiece of the album is “Untold,” an edgy three-part suite featuring guest saxophonist David Lynch. .... By contrast, “Memories” and “Waltz for Persefoni” offer an intimate glimpse into Yerolatsitis’s personal world, recalling summer nights spent with his grandmother and godmother - women who significantly shaped his upbringing. These pieces underscore the warmth and sincerity at the heart of Daydreaming. “This album comes from a very honest place,” Yerolatsitis reflects. “It’s a snapshot of our journey together as musicians and individuals. The music doesn’t aim to prove anything; it simply expresses where we are right no

Details and Sample : Listen to Xordes :

Mari Kvien Brunvoll & Stein Urheim with Moskus - Barefoot In Bryophyte

(Hubro Records) - Released: 9th August 2024

Mari Kvien Brunvoll (vocals, electronics, percussion, zither, glock); Stein Urheim (vocals, guitars, flutes, electronics); Anja Lauvdal (piano, synth, harmonium, electronics, vocals); Frederik Luhr Dietrichson (upright bass, cello, whistling, vocals); Hans Hulbaekmo (drums, percussion, recorder, harmonica, tabla machine, vocals).

Brunvoll Urheim Moskus Barefoot In Bryophyte.jpg

'From a world of its own, somewhat like ours, yet a bit different. Familiar sound, but in a slightly different order, upside down or backwards, with different instruments or in another language just beyond comprehension, that still, somehow, makes sense and carries us further in search of musical discovery. With playful and creative interaction and exceptional chemistry, Mari Kvien Brunvoll, Stein Urheim, and Moskus take another step into uncharted musical territory. The result is the album Barefoot in Bryophyte. The members of this quintet are frequent figures in the Hubro discography but had not played together before this project. The collaboration began as the commissioned work Branches & Limits for Voss Jazz Festival in 2023. The music has an immediacy, an unusual combination of song material, spontaneous improvisation and musicianship that made the concert a favorite among both critics and audience .........' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Paper Fox : Listen to So Low:

Javier Rojo - Música Para Amansar Fieras
(Fresh Sound New Talent Records) - Released: 10th January 2025

Javier Rojo (tenor sax); Álvaro Ocón (trumpet); Noé Sécula (piano); Eliott Knuets (electric guitar); Joan Codina (bass); Genius Wesley (drums); Special guest: Fernando Brox (flute on #4).

Javier Rojo Musica Para Amansar Fieras.jpg

'This album is the result of a deep and revealing journey. This album not only marks a milestone in my career as a leader, but it also represents a continuous search for my own musical identity. Every note, every melody, embodies the experiences and emotions I’ve lived through over the past five years since I began playing the saxophone. Crafted with utmost care, this album strives to express my most authentic feelings, imprinting the deepest parts of myself into every composition, each of which holds profound and personal meaning. Throughout this process, I’ve been surrounded by an exceptional group of friends and musicians, who have been essential in bringing my music to life. The musical and personal connection I share with them has been crucial in allowing each piece to find its true essence ...... (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Black, White and Colours : Listen to Riba :

Reissues

Duke Ellington - Great Times

(Jasmine Records) - Released: 7th February 2025

Duke Ellington (piano and leader) with various personnel

This collection compiles, for the first time on a single disc issue, all the master takes of the instrumental recordings in which Duke Ellington participated for Mercer Records between 1950 and 1951. Made under the names of other band members - for contractual reasons, these sides feature the likes of Johnny Hodges, Oscar Pettiford, Max Roach, Billy Strayhorn, Louie Bellson, Juan Tizol and Willie Smith. These sides remain among the most unusual and fascinating in Duke’s extensive catalogue.Unfortunately, the masters for these recordings were destroyed in a fire in the 1950's. For this issue they have been transferred and restored from the best possible surviving sources and remastered to the best quality possible. (album notes).

Details

Jim Docherty's Spondance

(Livia Records) - Released: 28th February 2025

Jim Docherty (piano, composition, arrangement); Louis Stewart (guitar); Bobby Shew (trumpet, flugel horn); Bob Sheppard: (alto saxophone); Gordon Brisker (tenor saxophone); Randy Aldcroft (trombone); Tom Warrington (bass); Billy Mintz (drums)

Spondance is the 1986 octet album of pianist Jim Doherty’s jazz suite, recorded with close friends Louis Stewart and Bobby Shew, and the cream of Los Angeles musicians (Bob Sheppard: alto, Gordon Brisker: tenor, Randy Aldcroft: trombone, Tom Warrington: bass, and Billy Mintz: drums). The six tracks deliver a fine example of modern jazz ensemble playing, including ballads, jazz-blues, Latin, bop, and swing, with great solos. The compositions are based on a strong narrative, linking the brass, woodwind and guitar with specific characters and scenarios, which in particular, influence the solos. Though recorded nearly 40 years ago, the suite maintains its vibrancy and relevance. (album notes)

Details and Video for El Sponzo:

Trevor Watts - The Lantern Tree

(Jazz In Britain Records) - Released: 22nd November 2024

Trevor Watts (soprano & alto sax, percussion, compositions & arrangements); Marcus Cummins (soprano & alto sax); Gabriel Keene (piano); Geoff Sapsford (guitar); Colin McKenzie (bass guitar); Greg Leppard (drums); Ali Iaazane (Moroccan percussion); Additional musicians: Amy Leake (tenor sax); Rob Leake (tenor sax)

'.......... Trevor Watts, who is internationally renowned for his improvised and experimental work (rightly so in our opinion). For some reason Trevor is less celebrated for his talents as a composer, and this release is Jazz In Britain’s attempt to try and right that wrong. The Lantern Tree was commissioned by the Brighton based Community Theatre group Same Sky and premiered in 1999. It proved so popular that more performances took place in 2000 and the recording we are releasing was made at St. Mary’s-in-the-Castle, Hastings in January of that year.
The piece clocks in at just under an hour and consists of a suite of 11 composed pieces which display Watts’s compositional skills superbly. The work is performed by a very tight 9-piece band which produces a very ‘big’ sound. Led by Watts the ensemble features 4 horn players, guitar, piano, bass guitar and drums/percussion.
The Lantern Tree is an important addition to the Trevor Watts canon and is such a significant work that we felt it should stand alone, rather than be augmented by ‘additional’ material.' (album notes)

Details and Samples : Listen to Summer Suns : Listen to Riding Tigers :

Matthew Gee All Stars - Jazz By Gee

(Fresh SoundRecords) - Released: 2024

Matthew Gee (trombone); Kenny Dorham, Joe Newman, Russell Jacquet (trumpet), Ernie Henry, Lou Donaldson (alto sax); Frank Foster, Illinois Jacquet (tenor sax); Frank Wess (tenor sax, flute); Cecil Payne (bass sax); Joe Knight, Elmo Hope, Johnny Acea (piano); Wilbur Ware, John Simmons, Percy Heath, Al Lucas, Eddie Jones (bass); Art Taylor, Art Blakey, Shadow Wilson, Osie Johnson (drums)

'Matthew Gee (1925-1979), who belatedly had the opportunity to record this album, “Jazz by Gee!,” his first and only one as a leader, in 1956, was one of many talented jazzmen who earned the solid and lasting respect of his peers without ever achieving the public recognition they clearly deserved. Leonard Feather described Gee as one of the “best and most underrated of bop-influenced trombonists.” Gee was first influenced - not only in style but in his decision to play the trombone - by hearing Trummy Young, who was playing ahead-of-his-time trombone with the Jimmie Lunceford band. After attending Alabama State College, where he built a musical reputation, Gee arrived in New York. His first big band job was with Erskine Hawkins’s band. After military service, he worked with Dizzy Gillespie in 1946, the Gene Ammons-Sonny Stitt group, Count Basie, and Illinois Jacquet, before freelancing in the New York area. From 1959 to 1963, he played intermittently with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Later, in the 1960s, he played in small groups with Paul Quinichette and Brooks Kerr, and in big bands with Sonny Stitt and Johnny Griffin .....' (album notes)

Details and Samples :

Tony Coe - The Buds Of Time

(Jazz In Britain Records) - Released: 28th March 2025

Tony Coe (clarinet, soprano saxophone); Antony Pay (clarinet); Geoff Perkins (bass trombone); Gary Kettel (percussion); Chris Norton (piano); Chris Laurence (double bass); Robert Cornford (piano, conductor); with the Delmé String Quartet: Galina Solodchin, Jeremy Painter (violin); John Underwood (viola); Stephen Orton (cello)

'This is the first ‘lost’ album Jazz In Britain has discovered. We’ve released albums that were only previously released on vinyl, or even cassette tape, ie never on CD, or albums produced from sessions by groups that never made a record, or we’ve included unreleased tracks that never made it only albums… but this is a real first for us. In 1979 Tony Coe and Bob Cornford composed pieces for an unusual, and unrepeated, combination of a six-piece jazz ensemble (two reeds, bass trombone, piano, percussion and double bass) with a string quartet. The main piece Tony called The Buds of Time. The music was rehearsed, pieces for an album were recorded and, under the auspices of an Arts Council Contemporary Music Network tour, concerts took place at six venues around the UK. We had read about this in John Wickes’ book Innovations in British Jazz Volume One 1960-1980....... ' (album notes)

Details and Sample : Listen to The Jolly Corner :