Callum Au: Sing Seven Seas
Trombonist, composer and arranger Callum Au was born in London to Scottish and Chinese parents. He spent his early years in Blackpool before returning to London where he’s now based. In his teens he was principal trombonist in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and for the last 14 years has been a regular member of Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra.
Au has written music for Quincy Jones, Jamie Cullum, Claire Martin, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra and Danish Radio Big Band. In 2009 he formed his own big band with members selected from the best of London’s jazz scene and in 2020 established the Callum Au Orchestra, combining a full-scale symphony orchestra with big band and extended rhythm section.
Au’s new album has been written for 80+ top-drawer musicians with content marrying big-band swing, contemporary jazz and symphonic prog. Almost all the pieces have been composed and arranged by the trombonist. Alongside his own contributions, soloists include Duncan Hemstock, Nadim Teimoori, James Davison, Freddie Gavita, Gareth Lockrane, Mark Nightingale and Emma Rawicz.
The recording unfurls over two volumes. Volume 1 moves readily across styles, textures and concepts while Volume 2 centres on the big-band tradition with a central section paying tribute to Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Kenny Wheeler. The two volumes reflect twin aspects of Au’s work – from intrepid and wide-ranging experimentation to his longstanding appreciation of big-band music. Have a look and listen to the band playing one of the stand-out tracks, Swipe Right! featuring dazzling soloing from Duncan Hemstock on clarinet.
Discography
CD1: Swipe Right!; Galt’s Motor; Si Vis Pacem Para Carnyx; Tethys; Murmurations; The Weaver; Jazz AI (57.43)
CD2: Bandwagon Blues; Changeling; Through The Deep Dark Woods; The Bill Pill; Caledonian Sun God; Fork Hen; Verity; Two Views Of The Blues; Stardust (57.00)
Full lists of musicians are on the album Bandcamp page here. Click on each volume for listing. LEH School, Hampton, Surrey, 17-23 August 2025.
ECN Music CABBCD002
Greenhouse Ensemble: Mezzanine
Greenhouse Ensemble is a close-knit septet based in Montreal. Their music is a blend of contemporary jazz, prog-rock and québécois folk music. The members enjoy experimenting with sound manipulation and songwriting is shared by all. Mezzanine is the culmination of several years of sonic exploration. It follows the ensemble’s 2023 debut album, Rez-de-Chaussée – translated as Ground Floor. The new recording represents the next floor above, symbolising the ongoing development of the band’s music.
The dramatic opening track, Intégration, highlights the cohesive sound of the ensemble and individual proficiency of each artist. The “turlute” referenced in the title of the second piece, Variations Sur Une Turlute, is a traditional form of Quebec vocalisation characterised by quick, tongue-driven syllables. Vocalist Roxane Reddy and her companions celebrate the band’s roots by reshaping the tradition through their own unique delivery. The subject of the highly melodic song Nikki is the pet dog owned by one of the members. It became a companion to all during the band’s compositional retreat in the Canadian countryside. Astrée is a dream-like journey of shifting sounds. It’s followed by Parenthèse I, a quiet interlude between guitar and trumpet.
Electric bass is prominent in Diomède – its title was the codename of the 1980s Russian-American spy Jack Barsky. The energetic A Whole Step Away is followed by an echoing exchange between voice and strings in Parenthèse II. The complex, violin-led Reset, with an intermittent rock-backing, is succeeded by a brief and wistful Bergère. The nostalgic closing track, La P’tite Loune À Rox (The Little Moon At Rox) has shared singing from the band. It was composed on the last day of their retreat – an experience that drew its members even closer together. All the album’s tracks can be sampled here.
Discography
Intégration; Variations Sur Une Turlute; Nikki; Astrée; Parenthèse I; Diomède; A Whole Step Away; Parenthèse II; Reset; Bergère; La P’tite Loune À Rox (50.51)
Roxane Reddy (v, md); William Lussier (t, flh); Camille Brousseau (vn); Christophe Magnan-Bossé (p, org, mel); Louis-Martin Ruest (g); Benjamin Lavoie-Doyon (b, elb, bj); Simon Desrosiers (d, pc). Montreal, 2025.
Independent
Audrey Ochoa: The Sorceress
I hadn’t come across Audrey Ochoa before hearing this CD – she’s considered one of Canada’s most creative trombonists. Ochua can certainly play the instrument and her singing voice isn’t bad either. Her first album, Trombone And Other Delights, topped the Canadian charts in 2013. Her next, Afterthought, did the same in 2017 as did Frankenhorn in 2020. Her fourth album, The Head Of A Mouse (2023), was nominated for a Juno award (the Canadian answer to the American Grammy) in 2025. En route she’s performed alongside artists such as Marcus Miller, Lew Tabackin, Hilario Duran and Chris Potter.
Ochoa’s new recordng combines swing, electronica, pop and Latin jazz – Cuban and Brazilian. The album’s 14 pieces have all been composed and arranged by her. The core band comprises pianist Chris Andrew, bassist Mike Lent and drummer Jon May with Ochoa taking centre stage. Of the other instruments present, percussion and baritone sax feature on only one track, cello and guitar on two, violin on three and tenor sax on six. Ochoa sings on four of the tracks.
She says that she tries to write something whenever she wants to remember a special moment, person or feeling and this is reflected in the album’s song titles. For instance Maintenance Phase refers to the most failure-prone stage of dieting, Button People refers to saxophone players she knows and Let’s Give Up attempts to capture the moment when Ochoa realised freedom meant letting go.
Discography
Maintenance Phase; Lamplight; Another One; The Green Place; My Reward; Petra And Schoobie; Button People; Let’s Give Up; Left Foot Right; Commodore ’25; Grateful Woman; Everything You Wanted; I Have You; Swan Song (67.01)
Ochoa (tb, v); Jeremiah McDade (ts); Jen Bustin (vn); Joanne Yu (clo); Mo Lefever (g); Chris Andrew (p, kyb); Mike Lent (b); Jon May (d); Nathan Ouellette (pc). Canada, 2026.
Chronograph Records CR119
