Review: Kate Pass/Kohesia

“Kate Pass’ compositions and musical palette are far from mere exotica – in fact, the conversational mix of Western and Middle-Eastern music could not be more timely, with the current world schisms and tensions between the two cultures. To hear these voices side-by-side, talking and twining together is an almost political call for hope – one where neither side sees the other as ‘the other’.”

Review: Beeche-Magnusson

Beeche/Magnusson’s seventeen (yes, seventeen) tracks work through the spectrum of possibilities of the alto/guitar combination from the Hot Club joie-swing of ‘The Gift’ and ‘Wings’ through to impressionistic ballads like Beeche’s lovely ‘Golden Blue’ and all points between.

Album review: Eamon Dilworth – Viata

Each of the nine pieces are more settings than compositions, or even improvisation – settings for Dilworth to express this idea of viata/life, and his reaction to it. Many of the tunes on ‘Viata’ have a European dissonance, a Bartokian slipping in and out of key and tone – not exactly dissonance, more the stretching of the envelope, a very human thing, tying it to the universality of the blues.

Album review: James Muller/Live at WizardTone

James Muller’s tone across the entire album is immaculate: rich yet biting when it needs to be, with piano-like chords or brittle percussive comping. The minimal comping and lack of piano lends all of the performances an open, contrapuntal transparency that lend it an astringent economy, letting the music breath organically. Exciting stuff.