Category: jazz albums
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Ezra Collective: Dance, No One’s Watching review – jazz champions play to their strengths
The jazz group that set the Mercury Prize alight last year return with an album that goes all in on infectious dance grooves. Their knack for melody seems to have been forgotten in the party, but this bloated record does conclude with the most moving track of this band’s career.
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KNOWER: KNOWER FOREVER review – a grand return for the LA duo
Louis Cole, Genevieve Artadi and an incredible collection of collaborators have crafted an album elevated far above any of their past music, shaping a promising future for the electronic funk duo, writes Matthew Rowe.
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Laufey: Bewitched review – the finest yet from vocal jazz revivalist
A breathtaking title track is the climactic highlight of the Icelandic-Chinese artist’s second album, packed with enough gorgeous melodies and intricate orchestration to singlehandedly spur the revival of an entire genre.
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Snarky Puppy: Sylva review – a mind-blowing gem
Forget Oliver Tree, I’ve got another confession: I’ve never really liked classical music. I’m someone who needs a hook, a bass line, a groove and whilst classical music can have its moments, for me it’s always been too meandering and too inaccessible without a singer to guide me through. After all, what’s the point of…
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Parcels: Live Vol. 1 review – Magnificent, subtle reinvention
Parcels are not a raw, roughly-cut band. At least that’s what I thought before hearing Live Vol. 1. Their excellent 2018 self-titled debut album was full of creamy-smooth grooves and airy falsetto, with lyrics musing paradise and self-acceptance. They end up sounding like a Vulfpeck that’s taken a breather, calmed themselves down and grown up…
Undertone 