Majid Bekkas: Magic Spirit Quartet

Vocalist-instrumentalist Bekkas’ quartet’s mediation between North African Gnawa and Nordic sensibilities is trance-like for the most part, and the inclusion...

Reviewed in issue April/2020

Jazzrausch Bigband: Dancing Wittgenstein

Techno-jazz is surely an oxymoron, but that sums up this young German 40-piece big band’s monotonous integration of 1990s electronica,...

Reviewed in issue February/2020

Tonbruket: Masters of Fog

Andreas Werliin | Johan Lindström | Martin Hederos | Dan Berglund

Bassist Dan Berglund takes five from recently formed supergroup RYMDEN to record his post-jazz Swedish power quartet Tonbruket's sixth studio...

Reviewed in issue Dec/Jan/2019/2020

Nguyên Lê: Overseas

Cuong Vu | Trung Bao | Alex Tran | Minh Dôn Môi | Ngô Hông Quang | Chris Minh Doky | Lê Thi Van Mai | Nguyên Hoông Anh | Nguyên Lê | Illya Amar

“I grew up knowing that I was a ‘Viêt Kiêu’ –an overseas Vietnamese, born on soil other than that of...

Reviewed in issue Dec/Jan/2019/2020

e.s.t: e.s.t. Live in Gothenburg

Esbjörn Svensson | Magnus Öström | Dan Berglund

Considered by the pianist himself as one of the best concerts he ever played (with good reason), Live in Gothenburg...

Reviewed in issue Dec/Jan/2019/2020

Landgren/Wollny/Danielsson/Haffner: 4 Wheel Drive Live

Wolfgang Haffner | Nils Landgren | Lars Danielson | Michael Wollny

Super ensembles rarely gel, but there's no doubting the exultant chemistry of this quartet. With a chart-topping eponymous album in...

Reviewed in issue Dec/Jan/2019/2020

Carsten Dahl Trinity: Painting Music

Carsten Dahl | Stefan Pasbord | Nils Bo Davidsen

A precocious drumming talent, Carsten Dahl was already a student at Copenhagen's Rhythmic Music Conservatory, and being taught by the...

Reviewed in issue Dec/Jan/2019/2020

Kalle Kalima & Knut Reiersrud: Flying Like Eagles

Knut Reiersrud | Phil Donkin | Jim Black | Kalle Kalima

If you're looking for some authentic misty-mountain topped Nordic jazz from this Finnish-Norwegian guitar collaboration you've come to the wrong...

Reviewed in issue November/2019

Klaus Paier & Asja Valcic: Vision For Two – 10 Years

A haunting recording on the whole, this simpatico duo – an accordionist and cellist – release a fifth album together...

Reviewed in issue November/2019

Iiro Rantala: My Finnish Calendar

Iiro Rantala

In his days with his Trio Toykeat, Rantala emerged as a formidably talented player capable of inspired derring-do that few...

Reviewed in issue October/2019