59 articles
Wif Stenger
Wif Stenger started out in university radio, then writing a weekly column for New York Press focusing on the downtown improvised music scene. Later he contributed to Rolling Stone, Spin, Billboard, Baltimore City Paper and Miami New Times as well as various music and travel books. After studying music history at the New School and journalism at Harvard, he moved to Helsinki. He works for the Finnish Broadcasting Company alongside freelance gigs for Songlines, Monocle, The Guardian, Deutsche Welle and Finnish Music Quarterly. He has been contributing to JJ since 2013, including profiles of Kamasi Washington, Vijay Iyer and Peter Erskine.
Flow Festival 2024, Helsinki
Flow isn't all about jazz but the bits that were - especially Marcos Valle, 80, and Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab - gave it a good showing
Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few: The Almighty
Young Chicago reedman produces a set of spiritualised modal jazz redolent of 1960s Coltrane and its immediate musical progeny
A snowy night in New York’s West Village
Wif Stenger enjoyed an alliterative NY evening with the VJO at the Village Vanguard and violinist Voilqué and vibist Valet at Smalls
Matthew Halsall: An Ever Changing View
The Manchester trumpeter meanders further along a pastoral path through electronics, global music and the gentler groves of spiritual jazz
- Advertisement -
Butcher Brown: Solar Music
Virginia band cooks up a funky stew of hip-hop, fusion and 70s retro with jazzy interludes from guests including Charlie Hunter
Alfa Mist at Korjaamo, Helsinki
The London-based funk-jazz keyboardist delivered an easy-going instrumental set with a new rhythm section at a former tram depot
Shirley Scott: A Walkin’ Thing
Mixing roadhouse grooves and gospel, the organist's final studio session exemplifies the sacred-secular paradox in black American music
Lucia Cadotsch: Aki
Swiss vocalist, appearing with Kit Downes, reminds of Nina Simone - not sonically, but in serving the song and avoiding showy virtuosity
- Advertisement -
Eartha Kitt: The Best Of Eartha Kitt
Although not exclusively a jazz singer, Kitt bent the style to her purpose, notably here in Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and Beale St Blues
Somi: Zenzile – The Reimagination Of Miriam Makeba
Tribute album convincingly makes the case that Miriam Makeba deserves a place in the jazz canon – and that Somi may too, one day
Str4Ta: Str4tasfear
Funk-pop album harks back to 90s acid-jazzers such as Incognito and the Brand New Heavies, the jazz mostly in scant trumpet features
Dhafer Youssef: Street Of Minarets
Tunisian oud virtuoso’s tenth album, mostly recorded before his last two, includes Marcus Miller, Herbie Hancock and Ambrose Akinmusire
- Advertisement -