Patterns That Connect

One Pedersen played in the trio Detail, together with Frode Gjerstad (saxophone) and John Stevens (drums) from 1981, and released several albums on the free jazz company Circulasione Totale.

Steve Gunn and David Moore’s Let the Moon be a Planet is a volume of improvisatory exchanges between classical guitar and piano, and a meeting place where two artists become acquainted through instrumental dialogue without a single expectation distracting them from the joy and open field possibility of collaboration.

Steve Gunn and David Moore’s Let the Moon be a Planet is a volume of improvisatory exchanges between classical guitar and piano, and a meeting place where two artists become acquainted through instrumental dialogue without a single expectation distracting them from the joy and open field possibility of collaboration.

In Nakibembe, a small village in Uganda's Busoga kingdom (one of the country's four remaining constitutional monarchies), locals have long reserved a communal area for musical performances and social events. In the middle of this space lies a deep pit that serves a single purpose: to amplify the embaire, an immense xylophone made up of between 15 and 25 wooden keys that stretches across the trench.

Blue Luminaire is a new project from Copenhagen-based, British-born composer, Nick Martin, marking a transition from their previous EPs – where they were composing and directing – to step into the spotlight as a performer, creating a sonic universe stretching across time to create an ever-moving, cyclical experience.

"All For One" perfects the intoxicating chemistry of Jamison Ross' debut, which intermingled blues, jazz, R&B and soul effortlessly. The album boasts a cast of musicians of whom Ross has developed a strong rapport from touring - pianist Chris Pattishall, guitarist Rick Lollar, bassist Barry Stephenson, and Cory Irvin on Hammond organ and Fender Rhodes. Ross is particularly enthusiastic with the addition of Irvin on the organ because he likens that instrument to an orchestra that would accompany jazz singers like Frank Sinatra or Billie Holiday.

AMMAR 808 is a fantastic proposition: North African music pulled through the vortex of a Tunisian producer with his eye on the bass bins. Maghreb United has a range of excellent singers from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia sitting at the centre of an ecstatic whirl of traditional instrumentation, distorted treatments, and big booming bass and drum patterns. Brilliant, energetic stuff, out on the Glitterbeat label.

For Dutch jazz pianist Marc van Roon, this album represents a dream come true, the culmination of almost five decades of exploring, playing, performing, contemplating, constructing, deconstructing, searching, researching, reflecting, engaging in conversations, jamming, travelling, instructing, sharing, dreaming and being. For a long time he wanted to allow himself full immersion in this genuine kind of improvisational exploration. Recording these pieces provided van Roon the opportunity to improvise on a tightrope, letting go of preconceived and trained artistic conceptualizations, a journey to the edge of technique and control. As an underlying framework he chose to use the printed keyboard scores of J.S. Bach as he connects the pre-composed orchestrations with improvised jazz.