Jazz
August round-up
At the time of writing, circumstances have inevitably steered listeners back to their collections of recorded music, so musicians and labels have either responded with their own initiatives or are simply weathering the storm.
One intervention that deserves to head this month’s list for sheer Audacity (experts will see what I did, an EP release from . This young London-based big band created the programme by having each member record individual parts at home and then having the results assembled via the magic of the studio, which these days can just be a computer in someone’s bedroom. Will the results turn the whole idea of the big band and its repertoire on its head? No. Is this nonetheless a fine collection of animated, perfectly optimistic pieces that are genuinely uplifting and that only give away their unusual origins to the kind of listener who spends more time analysing jazz than enjoying it? Absolutely. Buy it on principle. () ★★★★
