Those very good friends of this blog, The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco have released a new album. And to mark the occasion – some notes on the ten tracks, along with ten things about the band (nine of which are true). With thanks to the band’s Malcolm Moore, here are those notes about the new release, … Continue reading
The new single from London singer-songwriter Rebecca Poole is released on Friday (20 June 2025) – a day before midsummer’s day. Appropriately, it’s called Summer Days [not to be confused with the Emily Sanders classic of the same name], and it captures the mood of the season from the start – “Don’t you love those … Continue reading
One of my favourite jazz writers and performers (in fact, one if my favourite writers and performers of any kind), Emily Saunders, has released her latest single, Sideways. After the three previous tracks, which I reviewed in a post a couple of months ago, Sideways is the next song from her upcoming album, to be … Continue reading
It seems ages since I posted about Swansea International Jazz Festival, so it’s good to see it’s back this year. Featuring local, national and international talent, the festival takes place from 13 to 16 June, now hosted by Swansea Council in partnership with the festival’s founders Swansea Jazz Club. Continue reading
It’s a cliche to talk about ‘the difficult second album’. But sometimes that second album is an absolute triumph. And that’s certainly the case with Moonray, the new release from the talented British jazz vocalist, James Hudson, which is out this week (15 March). It’s an intriguing collection of songs, from the title track to … Continue reading
Acclaimed singer, songwriter, producer, and ‘queen of UK jazz-fusion’ (so says DJ and producer, Snowboy, and who am I to disagree?), the brilliant Emily Saunders is promising us a new album this year. It’s an exciting prospect, which has prompted me to catch up on her latest releases. So here’s a look at (and listen … Continue reading
The much-missed Swansea International Jazz Festival is back this summer. The city’s celebration of jazz has had two years off because of the pandemic, and had already switched to a more low-key autumn event because of budget uncertainties in 2019. But now, thanks to a partnership between the city council and Swansea Jazz Club, it’s … Continue reading
I first came across super-talented jazz singer and pianist Anthony Strong at the 2013 Brecon Jazz Festival. I loved the performance, describing it as “as sharp as his suit”, and since then we’ve kept in touch on social media. If you’re not familiar with Anthony’s work, you can check his website here. But I wanted … Continue reading
I was delighted to learn that Swansea Jazz Club is back in action! Artistic director Dave Cottle has revived the club after the COVID-19 hiatus, with a busy autumn (2021) programme, featuring many top UK jazz artists. Dave has been presenting live jazz in the city for 25 years, including the Swansea International Jazz Festival … Continue reading
Billed as ‘music like you have never heard before’, pianist Anders Helmerson leads bassist Lukasz Chula and drummer Juan Meija as the Anders Helmerson Trio to present ‘the world’s first opus in the key of i’. To my unsophisticated ears, the lead track at least is a glorious mix of piano-led jazz fusion with elements of prog rock, though … Continue reading
PieceOf Pink Pie 