Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
Paolo Fresu and Daniele di Bonaventura
In Maggiore
(ECM)
MANY years ago I stopped worrying about what is or isn’t jazz, my ears having sensed many times over the wisdom of Duke Ellington’s words that the best in music and musicianship is quite simply “beyond category.”
And this album is a lucid case in point, made by two Italians who are humans of the world and whose sounds are drenched in creative beauty and meaning.
CHRIS SEARLE recommends a work of love and deep admiration for a great musician
As part of the 2025 London Jazz Festival Rich Mix offered intriguing sessions titled 'Persian Jazz,' CHRIS SEARLE was there
New releases from Kennedy Administration, Melanie Pain, and Afton Wolfe
This is a concert of ambition and courage by organist and improviser Wayne Marshall, says SIMON DUFF


