How to Listen to Jazz

The recent turn to anti-immigrant sentiments and policies is a troubling development in the history of our great nation. Almost every week in 2018 brings news of family separations at the US-Mexico border, the plight of undocumented young Americans known as “Dreamers,” or the tweetstorm demonization of those who aren’t from our country.
But, then again, America has a checkered history when it comes to foreigners. From the anti-immigrant laws of the 1880s, which disallowed Chinese workers, to those of the 1930s that resulted in the deportation of thousands of Mexicans, several US policies have shunned foreigners. What makes these measures so disturbing is that America is composed mostly of immigrants and their descendants, as well as those whose ancestors were African slaves. Every generation faces the anti-immigrant scourge, so America is always in need for those to speak up and out on behalf of others.

His compositions are ambitious, idiosyncratic and imaginative. Nevertheless, the purely physical component of making music is an essential factor for Jonathan Salvi. "When I play the vibraphone, I dance!" This is also conveyed when you experience him live, as people tell him time and again. The impression of dancing is reinforced by the fact that the Swiss musician always plays with four mallets. His excellent technique goes hand in hand with improvisational brilliance. It was long overdue for the international jazz world to discover his class.

His compositions are ambitious, idiosyncratic and imaginative. Nevertheless, the purely physical component of making music is an essential factor for Jonathan Salvi. "When I play the vibraphone, I dance!" This is also conveyed when you experience him live, as people tell him time and again. The impression of dancing is reinforced by the fact that the Swiss musician always plays with four mallets. His excellent technique goes hand in hand with improvisational brilliance. It was long overdue for the international jazz world to discover his class.

Jazz In The Space Age was recorded in 1959 and 1960. It still stands up today as original and with Bill Evans on piano this is an excellent example of just how creative Russell's music was back then.

The first release on Jim O'Rourke's legendary Moikai imprint in over two decades, 'Spectral Evolution' is a defining statement from Portuguese vanguard Rafael Toral, an album of subtly orchestral, jazz-inspired guitar music that's been slowed to a vertiginous crawl. Using his arsenal of hand-made synths to sing like birds around stretched, steel-wound drones, he evokes Bach, Loren Connors, Gavin Bryars and Rhys Chatham on a longform piece full of conventional chord progressions and alchemical sleights of hand that will have you reeling, and no mistake.

Soul Jazz Records’ new Studio One collection ‘Fire Over Babylon: Dread, Peace and Conscious Sounds at Studio One’ features a stellar selection of 70s roots music – classic and rare tracks recorded at Clement Dodd’s musical empire at 13 Brentford Road in the 1970s.

Hello! How are you? I hope you’re well. I can’t thank you enough for taking time out of your life to listen to this album. I do sincerely hope you enjoy the music. I'm proud to be releasing my fourth studio LP. This album was too much fun to make, you might be able to hear that in the recordings! The trio of musicians that I get the privilege of working with are so incredibly thoughtful, capable and considerate. I hear in myself a sense of comfort and ease that is not always present in some of my earlier recordings, and it’s because of Anthony, Thomas, and Jacob. It’s because of them, as well as the wonderful team of engineers at the National Music Centre in Calgary, AB that this album became what it is. I have poured my heart into this album, and I’ll continue pouring my heart into each piece of music that I write, perform, and record, whether that’s every year, or every 5 years. I do this because I love to, and I hope you’ll love the result, however frequent that may be.

Hello! How are you? I hope you’re well. I can’t thank you enough for taking time out of your life to listen to this album. I do sincerely hope you enjoy the music. I'm proud to be releasing my fourth studio LP. This album was too much fun to make, you might be able to hear that in the recordings! The trio of musicians that I get the privilege of working with are so incredibly thoughtful, capable and considerate. I hear in myself a sense of comfort and ease that is not always present in some of my earlier recordings, and it’s because of Anthony, Thomas, and Jacob. It’s because of them, as well as the wonderful team of engineers at the National Music Centre in Calgary, AB that this album became what it is. I have poured my heart into this album, and I’ll continue pouring my heart into each piece of music that I write, perform, and record, whether that’s every year, or every 5 years. I do this because I love to, and I hope you’ll love the result, however frequent that may be.