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220 articles

Simon Adams

Simon Adams was born in Bristol and brought up in the home counties. He studied history and politics at London and Bristol universities before starting work in publishing, first as an advertising copywriter and designer and then as an editor. After some years hating middle management, he went freelance, writing more than 80 non-fiction books for children on subjects as varied as the Titanic, World War I, and Afghanistan. His first jazz review was published in Jazz Journal in November 1982 and he continued to contribute to the magazine regularly, as well as writing for Richard’s Cook’s Jazz Review. A consultant and contributor to both editions of The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, he also wrote a best-selling guide to jazz.

Dmitry Baevsky: Kid’s Time

France-based Russian altoist is accompanied by bass, drums and guest trumpet in a set characterised by a light, infectious bounce

Sebastian Rochford & Kit Downes: A Short Diary

Rochford, best known as a drummer, wrote some tunes in tribute to his father, delicately interpreted here through his drums and Downes' piano

Dave Liebman: Live At Smalls

The saxophonist's leap into nominally free playing is actually circumscribed by a post-bop ethos; but it's creative and enjoyable nonetheless

Jason Rebello & Tim Garland: Life To Life

Two veterans of the 1980s jazz revival mix groove, reverie and rhapsody in a duet that sounds fuller than piano and reeds might suggest
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Formation: Building A Personal Canon, Part One

Raw, confessional first instalment of what is essentially Brad Mehldau's biography reveals personal trouble that he hopes music helps remedy

Xhosa Cole: Ibeji

The BBC's 2018 Young Jazz Musician mixes sax and drum duets with sometimes lengthy verbal statements, the music usually winning through

Dave O’Higgins & Rob Luft: Pluto / Dave & Judith O’Higgins: Omicron

Saxophonist Dave O'Higgins pairs with guitarist Rob Luff and wife Judith in sets contrasting semi-abstraction with 1960s tough-tenor duos

Jonathan Gee: The Lions Revisited

Versatile British pianist, lately enamoured of Monk, focuses on singing, his fine voice thriving at one point over just a bass line
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Emmet Cohen: Uptown In Orbit

Young New York pianist essays a wide range of style with trio and horn guests, imbuing the traditional with a modernist flavour

Ahmad Jamal: The Complete 1962 At The Blackhawk / At The Blackhawk

Jamal's 1962 SF date is presented from possibly every angle in reissues of the complete gig on CD and the original LP on 180g orange vinyl

Qasim Naqvi, Leo Wadada Smith, Andrew Cyrille: Two Centuries

Synthesist leads trumpet and drums in a largely meditative sonic exploration leavened with moments of gnarly, electronic funk

Kansas Smitty’s: We’re Not In Kansas Anymore

While retaining their signature blues feeling, the London combo add the inspirations of modern jazz, hi-life and classic cinema music
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