The Listening Guide
🎶 The listening guide: five albums, released during the past twelve months, chosen around a weekly theme 🎶
This week, we highlight some stellar saxophonists, in the hands and mouths of whom the saxophone sings with grace, power, and precision. From a Blue Note young gun with an incredible sound and vision, to a saxophone quartet exploring the textures, harmonies and interplay possible with baritone through to soprano — there’s a range of fantastic sax-led projects to check out.
Josephine Davies – Satori: How Can We Wake?
Linda Sikhakhane – An Open Dialogue (Live in New York)
Album of the Week
Our NQ Jazz Album of the Week is the new project from trumpeter, composer, and Gondwana records founder, Matt Halsall. It marks the debut of his new band: featuring Matt Cliffe (flute and sax), Maddie Herbert (harp), Liviu Gheorghe (piano), Alan Taylor (drums), Jack McCarthy (percussion), and Gavin Barras (bass), and draws its energy from a combination of weekly rehearsal sessions, and monthly jams in the basement at YES. Halsall describes Salute to the Sun as ‘a positive earthy album,’ adding, ‘I wanted to create something playful but also quite primitive, earthy and organic that connected to the sounds in nature.’ Support the record on Bandcamp, where a number of formats and merch bundles are available.
Classic Album
Described as a ‘rousing success’ by Stephen Thomas Erlewine in his biography of the artist for Blue Note Records, Bobbi Humphrey’s 1973 gem Blacks and Blues is our classic album choice this week. The record hears the celebrated flautist and vocalist working closely with arranger/producer Larry Mizell on six breezy yet punchy jazz-funk cuts, combining electronic and acoustic instrumentation, with an emphasis on strong hooks, a rhythmic bedrock, and ample space for soloing. A fine crossover record for any Sunday afternoon!