A group who really live up to their name, as they have a way of reaching back in time and space with this very righteous vibe – blending the sorts of horns you might hear in Sun Ra's Arkestra with more majestic strings that might come from a Carlos Nino/Miguel Atwood Ferguson project – but all with a style that's got a lighter, more cosmic approach! There's strong use of harp on the albums at times, echoing a bit of Alice Coltrane – but the group definitely take off in all their own directions too, especially as they shift the focus on key instruments from track to track – in a lineup that includes flute, alto, oboe, tenor, bass clarinet, and baritone – next to light strings, piano, percussion, and bass. All the music was composed by Ozzy Moysey, and a few tracks feature a vocal group to help lift up the spirits of the tunes – equally cosmic and righteous, and a great addition to the sound of the set. If you've dug the Matthew Halsall recordings on the Gondwana label, you'll find plenty to love here – on titles that include "Rejoicing", "Niyama", "Equanimity", "Arc Of The Sun", "River Of Light", and "Pharoah Sings". CD

Mindblowing work from a tenorist we only just discovered with this amazing debut album – a deeply spiritual player who comes off beautifully on this set of original compositions! Nat Birchall blows with a range of feeling that takes us back to the 70s best of Pharoah Sanders, Billy Harper, and Clifford Jordan – and he puts his tunes together with a similar feel too – letting them build organically, often with the group just finding the rhythm at the start – then hitting a groove that lets Birchall's horn blossom wonderfully in sound – reaching forth with rich tones that are simply wonderful – over piano, bass, drums – and some guest trumpet by Matthew Halsall on one track (by the way, check out Halsall's album on the same label – it's another gem!) Titles include "Akhenaten", "Many Blessings", "Nica's Dance", and "A Prayer For". CD

Mindblowing work from a tenorist we only just discovered with this amazing debut album – a deeply spiritual player who comes off beautifully on this set of original compositions! Nat Birchall blows with a range of feeling that takes us back to the 70s best of Pharoah Sanders, Billy Harper, and Clifford Jordan – and he puts his tunes together with a similar feel too – letting them build organically, often with the group just finding the rhythm at the start – then hitting a groove that lets Birchall's horn blossom wonderfully in sound – reaching forth with rich tones that are simply wonderful – over piano, bass, drums – and some guest trumpet by Matthew Halsall on one track (by the way, check out Halsall's album on the same label – it's another gem!) Titles include "Akhenaten", "Many Blessings", "Nica's Dance", and "A Prayer For". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the best work so far from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – and a wonderful continuation of the spiritual vibe he's been giving us for the past few years! Halsall's a real up-and-comer – a trumpeter with a spiritual sensibility that rivals the best players on 70s Impulse or Strata East sessions – working with a fluid, open quality that's unlike any other contemporary musicians we can think of! There's depth of sound to the record that rivals the best spiritual sessions from Build An Ark – or from Halsall's frequent partner and labelmate, Nat Birchall – whose tenor makes parts of the album sparkle as much as Matthew's trumpet. Other musicians include Rachael Gladwin on harp – an instrument used heavily on the record, in a cool Alice Coltrane-like way – plus Lisa Mallett on flute, Adam Fairhall on piano, and Holly Simpson on violin. Titles include "The Sun In September", "Finding My Way", "Sailing Out To Sea", "Mary Emma Louise", and "Fletcher Moss Park". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the best work so far from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – and a wonderful continuation of the spiritual vibe he's been giving us for the past few years! Halsall's a real up-and-comer – a trumpeter with a spiritual sensibility that rivals the best players on 70s Impulse or Strata East sessions – working with a fluid, open quality that's unlike any other contemporary musicians we can think of! There's depth of sound to the record that rivals the best spiritual sessions from Build An Ark – or from Halsall's frequent partner and labelmate, Nat Birchall – whose tenor makes parts of the album sparkle as much as Matthew's trumpet. Other musicians include Rachael Gladwin on harp – an instrument used heavily on the record, in a cool Alice Coltrane-like way – plus Lisa Mallett on flute, Adam Fairhall on piano, and Holly Simpson on violin. Titles include "The Sun In September", "Finding My Way", "Sailing Out To Sea", "Mary Emma Louise", and "Fletcher Moss Park". LP, Vinyl record album

A really incredible album – a set that's filled with far more soul and feeling than you might guess from the youthful image on the cover! Matthew Halsall's a pretty young player, but his sound here is really amazing – not just on his own trumpet solos, but on the overall feel of the album – which is beautifully composed, and put together with a sense of spirit that takes us back to Strata East at its most sophisticated in the 70s! There's a really beautiful balance here – ambition in the writing that recalls other UK efforts from The Heritage Orchestra or Nostalgia 77 Octet – but an execution that's much leaner overall, deeply personal lines played by a relatively small combo – quintet formation on all numbers, featuring Halsall's trumpet alongside great reedwork on soprano sax, flute, alto, and tenor – supported by soaring rhythms on piano, bass, and drums – all handled with the majesty of an early 70s McCoy Tyner album, or some of the other great modally-inspired work of the American post-Coltrane generation. Tremendous stuff throughout – a record that held us rapt from start to finish – with 5 original compositions that include "On The Other Side Of The World", "Reflections", "Freedom Song", "Sending My Love", and "Sachi". CD

A wonderfully moody combo – one who are definitely in the more jazz-based side of the spectrum for the Gondwana label – but a group who also have a different vibe than label heavyweights like Matthew Halsall and Nat Birchall! There's a very loose, open approach going on here – music that moves in these gentle cycles that are more elliptical than modal jazz, but have a similar sense of spirit – served up with sublime instrumentation from group leader Seth Ford Young on bass, Mitchell Yoshida on electric piano, Sylvain Carton on saxes, and Josh Collazo on drums. At times, the group hang wonderfully on the edge between spiritual jazz and freer sounds of the loft jazz generation – on titles that include "Still Dancing", "Like Glass", "Drum Talk", "Mama", "First Step", and "The Cradle". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the mellowest 12" single you'll ever hope to buy – but we mean that in the best way possible! "Morning Sun" is a cut that builds just like its title – glowing with some rising rays of sound at the start, echoes of harp and keyboards mixed with a gentle modal groove – which then really takes shape once a saxophone solo emerges, only to give way to some great electric piano too! "Arrival" is an equally nice spiritual jazz gem, and one that's very much in the best tradition of the Gondwana label – with very nice work on electric piano and flute! 12-inch, Vinyl record

A group who really live up to their name, as they have a way of reaching back in time and space with this very righteous vibe – blending the sorts of horns you might hear in Sun Ra's Arkestra with more majestic strings that might come from a Carlos Nino/Miguel Atwood Ferguson project – but all with a style that's got a lighter, more cosmic approach! There's strong use of harp on the albums at times, echoing a bit of Alice Coltrane – but the group definitely take off in all their own directions too, especially as they shift the focus on key instruments from track to track – in a lineup that includes flute, alto, oboe, tenor, bass clarinet, and baritone – next to light strings, piano, percussion, and bass. All the music was composed by Ozzy Moysey, and a few tracks feature a vocal group to help lift up the spirits of the tunes – equally cosmic and righteous, and a great addition to the sound of the set. If you've dug the Matthew Halsall recordings on the Gondwana label, you'll find plenty to love here – on titles that include "Rejoicing", "Niyama", "Equanimity", "Arc Of The Sun", "River Of Light", and "Pharoah Sings". CD

Incredible modal sounds from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – one of our favorite contemporary jazz artists, and one whose vision just gets bolder and bolder with each new record! This completely sublime set has Halsall working tightly with reedman Nat Birchall – a frequent musical partner whose own records bristle with the same sort of spiritual energy – given some slight additional flavors here with extra flute, harp, and koto – used alongside the more familiar piano, bass, and drums that have always grounded the pair's work together. All tunes are original, and have this vibe that's perfect for the post-Coltrane spiritual jazz generation – but delivered in a way that's quite fresh, too – and not just a simple rehash of early 70s Impulse Records modes. Every track's a gem – and titles include "Sagano Bamboo Forest", "Tribute To Alice Coltrane", "When The World Was One", "Falling Water", and "Kiyomizu Dera". CD

The music of Chip Wickham just seems to get deeper and deeper with each new release – the kind of "instant classic" territory that few jazz musicians seem to hit so effortlessly – and exactly the kind of record that's had us loving Chip's music from the very first record! The groove is mostly modal, and the group has this great blend of bass, drums, and percussion that rolls along with a wonderfully fluid quality – almost in the nascent spirituality of a player like Yusef Lateef in the early 60s, but with a lot more contemporary understanding too – especially as Wickham adds in elements from the harp of Amanda Whiting, trumpet of Eoin Grace, and vibes of Ton Risco! Phil Wilkonson handles the piano with a majestic sort of grace – and Chip blows both flutes and tenor, on titles that include "Dark Eyes", "Tubby Chaser", "Winter", "Lower East Side", "Stratospheric", and "The Hit". CD

Part of a fantastic legacy in spiritual jazz – music that was almost overlooked at the time, but went on to become the start of both a big wave of new energy on the UK scene of trumpeter Matthew Halsall, and a whole global generation as well! The album is Halsall's second, and follows strongly from the amazing spirit of his debut – done for the Gondwana label with key help from the great Nat Birchall on tenor – a player whose depth is a perfect balance to the measured, spacious tone of Halsall – in a group that also features Adam Fairhall on piano, Gavin Barras on bass, and either Gaz Hughes or Marek Dorcik on drums – plus some especially wonderful harp from Rachael Gladwin on half the album's long tracks. The set is great, with beautifully open sounds – and the titles are all original, and include "Colour Yes", "Together", "I've Found My Joy", "Mudita", "I've Been Here Before", and "Me And You". New edition includes the bonus tracks "Ai" and "It's What We Do". CD

A spiritual masterpiece from Matthew Halsall – a record that still has the beautiful trumpet work we've loved from the start, but which also shows just how much Halsall has been expanding his talents in search of new meanings, and new modes of expression! Matthew handles a fair bit of instrumentation here himself – including Fender Rhodes, piano, kalimba, percussion, and effects – but there's also a shifting lineup of guests throughout, coloring things in really particular ways – with performances from Chip Wickham on soprano sax and flute, Matt Cliffe on alto and flute, Alice Roberts on harp, and Liviu Gheorge and Jasper Green on Fender Rhodes. The tunes have a sense of gentle majesty that's completely sublime, as they unfold in these very righteous currents – on titles that include "Mountains Trees & Seas", "Calder Shapes", "An Ever Changing View", "Tracing Nature", "Water Street", "Triangles In The Sky", and "Natural Movement". CD

A spiritual masterpiece from Matthew Halsall – a record that still has the beautiful trumpet work we've loved from the start, but which also shows just how much Halsall has been expanding his talents in search of new meanings, and new modes of expression! Matthew handles a fair bit of instrumentation here himself – including Fender Rhodes, piano, kalimba, percussion, and effects – but there's also a shifting lineup of guests throughout, coloring things in really particular ways – with performances from Chip Wickham on soprano sax and flute, Matt Cliffe on alto and flute, Alice Roberts on harp, and Liviu Gheorge and Jasper Green on Fender Rhodes. The tunes have a sense of gentle majesty that's completely sublime, as they unfold in these very righteous currents – on titles that include "Mountains Trees & Seas", "Calder Shapes", "An Ever Changing View", "Tracing Nature", "Water Street", "Triangles In The Sky", and "Natural Movement". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the best work so far from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – and a wonderful continuation of the spiritual vibe he's been giving us for the past few years! Halsall's a real up-and-comer – a trumpeter with a spiritual sensibility that rivals the best players on 70s Impulse or Strata East sessions – working with a fluid, open quality that's unlike any other contemporary musicians we can think of! There's depth of sound to the record that rivals the best spiritual sessions from Build An Ark – or from Halsall's frequent partner and labelmate, Nat Birchall – whose tenor makes parts of the album sparkle as much as Matthew's trumpet. Other musicians include Rachael Gladwin on harp – an instrument used heavily on the record, in a cool Alice Coltrane-like way – plus Lisa Mallett on flute, Adam Fairhall on piano, and Holly Simpson on violin. Titles include "The Sun In September", "Finding My Way", "Sailing Out To Sea", "Mary Emma Louise", and "Fletcher Moss Park". CD

A gem of an album from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – his third on the Gondawa label, and like all the others, a set that we'd easily rank right up there with the best 70s spiritual jazz on labels like Strata East or Black Jazz! The set's got a fluid sound that's extremely compelling – kind of a post-Coltrane vibe that has all the players stretching out nicely, but always in a soulful way – never too overdone, or too avant – always staying in the right sort of expressive modes to keep their energy focused. And in the group with Halsall's trumpet is the tenor of Nat Birchall – labelmate on Gondawa, and a player we totally love too – with rhythm support from Adam Fairhall on piano, Gavin Barras on bass, and Gaz Hughes on drums – plus a bit of harp from Rachael Gladwin on one track. Titles include "Samatha", "The End Of Dukkha", "Song For Charlie", and "Music For A Dancing Mind". Remastered edition – features bonus tracks "Only You", "Singing Everyday", and "Breathless". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-issued work from trumpeter Matthew Halsall – most of it recorded during the year of 2008, a time when Halsall was first really starting to make a name for himself – and also working with the great tenorist Nat Birchall! Birchall is on most of these tracks, and together the pair move into territory that's along the more meditative side of the spectrum than their first few albums – spiritual jazz, but of a slow-building style that often frequently features work on harp from either Stan Ambrose or Rachael Gladwin – in a mode that's clearly inspired by the Impulse Records material of Alice Coltrane, but which also has a very personal vibe – given the strong solo work of both Halsall and Birchall. The set also features two Indian-styled tunes, recorded with sitar and tabla – and titles include "Life", "Oneness", "Distant Land", "Stories From India", "Loving Kindness", "Stan's Harp", and "The Traveller". CD

A fantastic setting for the voice of Dwight Trible – one of the few contemporary jazz singers who inherited the style of spiritual jazz greats like Leon Thomas or Joe Lee Wilson! Trible's singing here with backing from a group that includes trumpeter Matthew Halsall, recording on Halsall's own label too – a wonderful imprint that's also one of the few to really get the spiritual vibe just right – that sort of long-flowing, always-soulful mode that grew out of the post-Coltrane generation! Tracks are all open and modal – just the right vibe for Trible to hit his heights – and they also leave plenty of space for Halsall to take some great solos, too – in a combo that also includes piano, bass, drums, and even a bit of harp. Most titles are remakes of older numbers, but given a completely different spin by Trible – and titles include "Tryin Times", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair", "Heaven & Hell", "Feelin Good", and "Dear Lord". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing work from a tenorist we only just discovered with this amazing debut album – a deeply spiritual player who comes off beautifully on this set of original compositions! Nat Birchall blows with a range of feeling that takes us back to the 70s best of Pharoah Sanders, Billy Harper, and Clifford Jordan – and he puts his tunes together with a similar feel too – letting them build organically, often with the group just finding the rhythm at the start – then hitting a groove that lets Birchall's horn blossom wonderfully in sound – reaching forth with rich tones that are simply wonderful – over piano, bass, drums – and some guest trumpet by Matthew Halsall on one track (by the way, check out Halsall's album on the same label – it's another gem!) Titles include "Akhenaten", "Many Blessings", "Nica's Dance", and "A Prayer For". CD

A group who really live up to their name, as they have a way of reaching back in time and space with this very righteous vibe – blending the sorts of horns you might hear in Sun Ra's Arkestra with more majestic strings that might come from a Carlos Nino/Miguel Atwood Ferguson project – but all with a style that's got a lighter, more cosmic approach! There's strong use of harp on the albums at times, echoing a bit of Alice Coltrane – but the group definitely take off in all their own directions too, especially as they shift the focus on key instruments from track to track – in a lineup that includes flute, alto, oboe, tenor, bass clarinet, and baritone – next to light strings, piano, percussion, and bass. All the music was composed by Ozzy Moysey, and a few tracks feature a vocal group to help lift up the spirits of the tunes – equally cosmic and righteous, and a great addition to the sound of the set. If you've dug the Matthew Halsall recordings on the Gondwana label, you'll find plenty to love here – on titles that include "Rejoicing", "Niyama", "Equanimity", "Arc Of The Sun", "River Of Light", and "Pharoah Sings". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful large concept work from UK saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi – one that features a rich array of players, all folded together in a warmly spiritual sound! There's echoes of some of the other mellow work on the International Anthem label here, but also more of the righteous currents of artists on the Gondwana label – all pushed even farther into more sophisticated territory with the larger arrangements in the music – which echo a Charles Stepney sort of majesty! Kinoshi leads the group on alto sax, and the lineup features trumpets, tenor, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, and drums – mixed with light strings, and even some flute and turntables too. The album's one long work that progressed beautifully in six parts – and is completed by another live recording from Total Refreshment Centre, "Smoke In The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful large concept work from UK saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi – one that features a rich array of players, all folded together in a warmly spiritual sound! There's echoes of some of the other mellow work on the International Anthem label here, but also more of the righteous currents of artists on the Gondwana label – all pushed even farther into more sophisticated territory with the larger arrangements in the music – which echo a Charles Stepney sort of majesty! Kinoshi leads the group on alto sax, and the lineup features trumpets, tenor, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, and drums – mixed with light strings, and even some flute and turntables too. The album's one long work that progressed beautifully in six parts – and is completed by another live recording from Total Refreshment Centre, "Smoke In The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A combo who start slow, then really build up with a sense of majestic presence – led by bassist Wojtek Mazolewski, and coming across here with a very spacious vibe! The first two tracks are short, and a bit contemplative, which might take you off guard – as once things get going, there's a surprising richness to the sound – a rising up, maybe with a contemporary mode that's similar to the best work on Gondwana Records – as the leader works with a quintet that features Piotr Checki on tenor, Oscar Torok on trumpet, Marcel Balinski on piano, and Tymek Papior – all familiar instruments, but working together with a presence that seems greater than the parts. Titles include "Sun", "Purple Space", "New Energy", "Air", and "The Art Of Joy". CD

A combo who start slow, then really build up with a sense of majestic presence – led by bassist Wojtek Mazolewski, and coming across here with a very spacious vibe! The first two tracks are short, and a bit contemplative, which might take you off guard – as once things get going, there's a surprising richness to the sound – a rising up, maybe with a contemporary mode that's similar to the best work on Gondwana Records – as the leader works with a quintet that features Piotr Checki on tenor, Oscar Torok on trumpet, Marcel Balinski on piano, and Tymek Papior – all familiar instruments, but working together with a presence that seems greater than the parts. Titles include "Sun", "Purple Space", "New Energy", "Air", and "The Art Of Joy". LP, Vinyl record album

A jam-packed issue of this mighty great magazine – one that not only features a big article on Carla Bley, pictured on the cover – but also more on reedman Azar Lawrence, pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, and improvising cellist Abdul Wadud! There's also more on John Zorn's Naked City, Amirtah Kidambi, Ruth Goller, Mette Henriette, and Francois Jeanneau – plus a look at the great spiritual jazz label Gondwana Records, and photos from the We Jazz Festival in 2023! As always, the writing is great, the photos superb, and the large publication is more like a book or journal than a magazine – kind of the Wax Poetics for those who dig jazz! Magazine

A great overview of the genius of trumpeter Matthew Halsall – a really tremendous musician who really helped reopen the door to spiritual jazz in the first decade of this century! Halsall's got a wonderful sense of space and soul – different than the trumpeters of the late 60s/early 70s generation – as he never comes too full on, and really lets a tune grow to find organic form – often using modal rhythms to build things up, before majestically taking off to the skies! His albums for the Gondwana label have become modern day spiritual jazz classics – right up there with the older best on Impulse or Strata East – and this collection brings together some of the best from those records – with titles that include "Colour Yes", "Calder Shapes", "The Sun In September", "Fletcher Moss Park", "Bright Sparkling Light", "Into Forever", "Eleventh Hour", "The Land Of", "Mountains Trees & Seas", and "Cherry Blossom". CD

Powerful work from the Solar Unity Ensemble – a group who might give the wrong impression from their name, as they're actually a duo – but one who manage to layer together all sorts of instruments in a very expansive sound! The tunes here have a very slow-building, meditative approach to spiritual jazz – a bit like some of the mellower work on the Gondwana label – as Roope Niemela and Henri Ijas blend together soprano, tenor, flute, guitar, piano, keyboard, trumpet, violin, and other elements (we can swear we hear a harp in there somewhere) – all in pursuit of a larger sonic truth! The music has a sense of majesty that belies its humble creation, and feels very organic overall – on titles that include "Shallow Water", "Didn't Know We Were Lost", "Impact", "Emergence", "Mantra", and "Passing Nimbus". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful large concept work from UK saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi – one that features a rich array of players, all folded together in a warmly spiritual sound! There's echoes of some of the other mellow work on the International Anthem label here, but also more of the righteous currents of artists on the Gondwana label – all pushed even farther into more sophisticated territory with the larger arrangements in the music – which echo a Charles Stepney sort of majesty! Kinoshi leads the group on alto sax, and the lineup features trumpets, tenor, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, and drums – mixed with light strings, and even some flute and turntables too. The album's one long work that progressed beautifully in six parts – and is completed by another live recording from Total Refreshment Centre, "Smoke In The Sun". CD

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