Reviews
Dersim
Vardan Hovanissian & Emre Gültekin ft. Malabika Brahma
Gültekin plays the saz – a long-necked Turkish lute – while Hovanissian plays the duduk – a pipe hewn from...
Reviewed by Nathaniel Handy in issue: February/March/2026
GABBEH
NAVA’s debut album, GABBEH, weaves heritage, introspection and exile into a lush, cinematic soundscape. Rooted in her Persian culture, the...
Reviewed by Joe Mulhall in issue: February/March/2026
New Quartet: Live At Pierre Boulez Saal
Mainly known as a trumpeter, but also a fine singer and santur specialist, the Iraqi-American Amir ElSaffar has been honing...
Reviewed by Martin Longley in issue: February/March/2026
Racines
Zal Sissokho & Laurent Perrault Jolicoeur
Straight ahead jazz and Mande music coalesce with glorious results on Racines, a collaboration between Canadian double-bassist Laurent Perrault-Jolicoeur and...
Reviewed by Doug Deloach in issue: February/March/2026
Oriental Suite
Some maintain that authentic jazz belongs to America; others argue for global diversity and celebrate local takes. Oriental Suite stands...
Reviewed by Keith Howard in issue: May/2026
Lost Tracks: Accra to Addis
VARIOUS ARTISTS | Various Artists
Founded and curated by DJ Afrocat, Lost Tracks Records joins the ever-growing African rare-groove reissue scene with their first release,...
Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: May/2026
Insomnia and Seven Steps to Grace
As a poet, Joy Harjo is one of the most celebrated American voices of the last century. Insomnia and Seven...
Reviewed by Joe Mulhall in issue: May/2026
Pölynkerääjä
Progressive Finnish folk duo Akkajee comprise Meriheini Luoto on nyckelharpa and vocals and Iida Savolainen on viola and vocals. Both...
Reviewed by Chris Wheatley in issue: May/2026
Historia
Gipsy Kings feat. Tonino Baliardo
Four decades on from the ubiquitous ‘Bamboleo’, which transformed the Gipsy Kings from restaurant musicians into global stars, comes Historia....
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: May/2026
De Binnenbuiten
The debut album from a new young instrumental folk band with roots in Flemish Belgium offers a unique combination of...
Reviewed by Kevin Bourke in issue: May/2026
