Back catalogue:

Review: The great Alice Coltrane was already widely revered by the time she released her third solo album Ptah, the El Daoud. It was written and recorded in 1970 in the basement of her house in Dix Hills on Long Island, New York and is noted for being the first record she made with horns. They are split between the two channels with Pharoah Sanders on the right bringing his abstract and transcendental sounds and Joe Henderson on the left bringing the intellectual vibe throughout. The post-bop sounds find Coltrane playing piano and harp receptions at the time were warm critically and with fans. The otherworldly sound is drenched in blues and perfect for some mindful meditations.

Review: A standout 1958-1959 recording by Johnny Hodges, Side by Side marked his continued solo work after taking the bold decision to leave the legendary Duke Ellington Orchestra. This album harks back to the small-group sessions of the 1930s but with a twist as Ellington's absence on several tracks meant Billy Strayhorn stepped in on piano. Joining Hodges are jazz legends like Jo Jones, Roy Eldridge and Harry 'Sweets' Edison, who all add colour to the varied collection, which has been newly remastered for Verve's Acoustic Sounds Series. As a follow-up to 1959's Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues, it is another gem from the noted alto saxophonist.

Review: Back To Back by Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges is a captivating collaboration that showcases the immense talent of these two jazz legends. It's a record, now reissued by Verve, that features a seamless interplay between Ellington's sophisticated piano stylings and Hodges' soulful saxophone melodies. From the swinging rhythms to the heartfelt ballads, each track exudes a sense of elegance and charm. Whether it's the lively improvisations or the tender duets, every moment on this record is a testament to the mastery of these jazz icons.

Review: Verve's audiophile-focused Acoustic Sounds series - championing jazz classics big and small, with a core view to showing them off at their crispest - continues with a well-selected reissue of John Coltrane's 'Crescent'. Verve are focusing on Coltrane's live albums in particular; 'Crescent' almost certainly tops 'Live At The Village Vanguard', again featuring the unparalleled performative chops of Trane's fellow jazz peers McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones - his Classic Quartet. Across only 5 tracks, the fab four achieve every possible blue-noted peak and trough, from extended trumpet, piano ('Bessie's Blues') and drum ('The Drum Thing') solos.

Review: Verve By Request repress Elvin Jones and Richard Davis' Heavy Sounds, one of the few recorded collaborations between the drummer and bassist ever laid to disc. The title is debatable if not misleading, as we'd wager that most listeners would typify this record as decidedly 'light' in feel. Recorded for Impulse in 1967, a session originally intended to be a trio date morphed into an 11 1/2-minute duet, on the album Summertime, between drummer Jones and bassist Davis, after the guitarist did not appear. The following day, saxophonist Frank Foster and pianist Billy Greene joined in to round out the rest of the cuts including 'Elvin's Guitar Blues', which features Jones' only recorded guitar performance.

Review: At just 22, Samara Joy is still rather young to be kicking it in the jazz world. It's a genre that requires life to be lived somewhat before real emotions can be distilled into the mic. However, here she makes her Verve debut and showcases a voice that evokes great legends of the genre like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. Her phrasing, tone and vocal control place her among these icons despite her youth and Samara's voice, already rich with timeless elegance, carries the weight of jazz's history while still feeling remarkably fresh and exciting. With this remarkable debut, she is surely poised to become a defining figure in jazz music.

Review: Samara Joy's latest album, recorded at the iconic Van Gelder Studios in February 2024, shows her growth and artistic direction. Captured over three days, the album features her touring band of young, rising jazz musicians, delivering a collection that blends timeless standards with new originals. For the first time, Samara delves into lyric writing, adding a personal touch to the album. Her remarkable voice shines throughout, accompanied by tight-knit arrangements and performances from her band, reflecting the camaraderie and energy they've built on the road. The album serves as a studio snapshot of their live performances, bringing to life the musical community she's fostered with her peers. Since her self-titled debut in 2021, Samara Joy has garnered widespread attention. Her second album, Linger Awhile, hit number one on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. With this new release, Samara continues to fulfill her vast promise with her future potential as a leading voice in jazz.

Review: Jazz and punk's best legacies fuse together with this latest collaborative release between The Messthetics and James Brandon. Brandon is a jazz saxophonist and contemporary virtuoso from New York; meanwhile, the Messthetics consist of former Fugazi members - bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty with guitarist Anthony Pirog. Continuing the latter's pegging as a 'jazz punk jam', the focus here is on Brandon's novel sax playing, lent to the Messthetics' cathartic, ultimate punk-riffing focus. All is instrumental, as signalled on the lead single 'Emergence', which finds pure enjoyment in variation around a singular four-by-four bass loop. In the saxophonist's own words: "The Messthetics are friends at this point and collaborating with them over the years has now brought us to another high point of musical bonding and purely unapologetic energy!"