STANDARDS (Decca) 6.5/10 The list keeps growing: Rod Stewart, Bryan Ferry, Robbie Williams, Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Annie Lennox and Bob Dylan are among the many pop stars to have a shot at singing jazz standards – with varying levels of success or embarrassment. Now it’s Seal’s turn, and the…
Category: Album Reviews
FAR FROM OVER (ECM) 8/10 There’s no destination for Vijay Iyer, just the journey, with each album a stop-off distinct from its predecessor. The pianist has recently shared a duo with trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, led his regular trio and combined a string quartet with electronics in what was more…
TANGENTS (ECM/UMA) 9/10 There’s still time, people. At 82 Gary Peacock, arguably the world’s premiere jazz bassist, is not just still getting better, he’s a hit a creative purple patch. The apparent demise of Keith Jarrett’s trio with Peacock and Jack DeJohnette, rather than dampen his enthusiasm, have proved a…