09.08.06

The Neil Cowley Trio shook up jazz fans two years ago with debut album Displaced, which was a bolt from the blue at the time. Neil Cowley, Richard Sadler and Evan Jenkins grabbed the jazz trio format by the scruff of its neck while not forgetting the elements that made it great in the first place. Cowley, best known for his work with key jazz funk and chill out bands, had come up with a post-EST concept that was distinctly fresh and rooted in his jazz influences, including the music of Keith Jarrett. 
28.02.08

Blues-drenched, free jazz legend Tomasz Stanko knows Ornette’s Coleman’s tune ‘Lonely Woman’ like some people know Lennon and McCartney’s’ ‘Let It Be’. For him it’s the kind of music that is key to his interior musical soundtrack. Over the years he has led his own bands in Poland, influenced initially heavily by the man from Fort Worth. But Stanko importantly became a member of pianist/composer Krzysztof Komeda’s group and later in his career worked extensively with the distinguished Finnish drummer Edward Vesala, as well as working as a sideman with Cecil Taylor, Gary Peacock and most recently Manu Katché. Stanko’s own groups have varied in their complexion, sometimes very austere, sometimes accessible with bossa nova and modal flavours. Next month his current quartet releases its third album. Ahead of its release, Stanko talks to Stephen Graham 09.07.06

As Jazzwise once again dons its Mystic Meg outfit and peers into the brave new dawn of 2008 the eyes of the world are tightly focused on 4 November when the good people of the United States go to the polls in the 55th US Presidential Election to hopefully bring about the kind of regime change the planet is begging for – hanging chads permitting that is. But hey, that’s almost a year away so dear reader we divert your attention away from the oncoming media frenzy and invite the movers and shakers of the UK jazz community to predict the up and coming new names they would elect as potential winners in 2008... 02.01.08

A remarkably understated Norwegian piano trio has produced a set of albums that have become some of the best selling jazz records in Europe in the last few years. Led by pianist Tord Gustavsen the trio is set for a UK tour and an appearance at the London Jazz Festival in November following the release of Being There earlier this year. Stuart Nicholson digs deep to discover their influences, their affinity to “cool school” jazz, and how their Norwegian roots informs thieir music. 04.10.07