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The Guardian - Back to homeThe Guardian

John Fordham

John Fordham is the Guardian's main jazz critic. He has written several books on the subject, reported on it for publications including Time Out, Sounds, Wire and Word, and contributed to documentaries for radio and TV. He is a former editor of Time Out, City Limits and Jazz UK, and regularly contributes to BBC Radio 3's Jazz on 3

July 2024

  • Kit Downes and Norma Winstone.

    Jazz album of the month
    Norma Winstone and Kit Downes: Outpost of Dreams review – bonded by jazz tradition

    The esteemed vocalist and prolific pianist weave their sounds together in an album of exquisite songs and extraordinary empathy

June 2024

  • ZARA MCFARLANE - singer - press handout image - KA V 0747 (1) pic credit Kareem Abdul

    Jazz album of the month
    Zara McFarlane: Sweet Whispers: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan review – terrific tribute to a jazz legend

    The British jazz singer pays homage to Vaughan with earthiness and spontaneity: an animated reinvention of these classics

May 2024

  • Sensitive soulmates … Wadada Leo Smith and Amina Claudine Myers.

    Jazz album of the month
    Wadada Leo Smith and Amina Claudine Myers review – an elegiac homage to New York’s green lung

    In their album Central Park’s Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Paths and Gardens the two musical soulmates impressionistically reflect on John Lennon, Albert Ayler and more

April 2024

  • Spontaneous conversation … (L-R) Grégoire Maret and Romain Collin.

    Jazz album of the month
    Grégoire Maret/Romain Collin: Ennio review – emotional, ecstatic Morricone homage

    Harmonica star Maret and pianist/composer Collin pay homage to Ennio Morricone with drifting church-echo and trancelike sounds

March 2024

  • Bewitching … Charles Lloyd.

    Jazz album of the month
    Charles Lloyd: The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow review – sax legend shows no sign of slowing down

    The octogenarian joyfully whispers and warbles his way through sublime tone poems, impassioned tributes and traditional spirituals with an all-star band

February 2024

  • Tyshawn Sorey, Vijay Iyer and Linda May Han Oh.

    Jazz album of the month
    Vijay Iyer/Linda May Han Oh/Tyshawn Sorey: Compassion review – a trio of rare intuition

    Improvising around Iyer compositions and numbers by Stevie Wonder, Roscoe Mitchell and more, these musicians foreground openness and receptivity

January 2024

  • Turbulently dreamlike … Mary Halvorson.

    Jazz album of the month
    Mary Halvorson: Cloudward review – compositions fuse with improv to wondrous ends

    (Nonesuch)
    The Brooklyn jazz guitarist’s seamless, beautifully interwoven tracks are full of welcome surprises

December 2023

  • Marius Neset, Lionel Loueke, Gretchen Parlato and John Scofield

    Best music of 2023
    The 10 best jazz albums of 2023

  • Watchful patience … Ambrose Akinmusire.

    Jazz album of the month
    Ambrose Akinmusire: Owl Song review – quietly joyous jazz grooves

November 2023

  • Pushing the story on … Paul Dunmall.

    Jazz album of the month
    Paul Dunmall: Bright Light a Joyous Celebration review – infused with the spirit of Coltrane

    As the UK saxophonist turns 70, he juggles abstraction and song forms with a starry cast including Xhosa Cole, Soweto Kinch, Corey Mwamba, Dave Kane and Hamid Drake

October 2023

  • Urgent clamour … the Angelika Niescier Trio (left to right) Savannah Harris, Angelika Niescier, Tomeka Reid

    Jazz album of the month
    Angelika Niescier/ Tomeka Reid/ Savannah Harris: Beyond Dragons review – immense improv

    Seven original tracks of free jazz span fast, jagged pieces and quiet tone poems, with a composer’s ear giving shape, drama and contrast

September 2023

  • Richard Davis en concert le 3 septembre 2016 pendant le Festival Jazz à la Villette, Paris, France. (Photo by Paul CHARBIT/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

    Richard Davis obituary

  • Emma Rawicz.

    Jazz album of the month
    Emma Rawicz: Chroma review – young British jazz star taking admirable risks

August 2023

  • Tristan Honsinger<br>GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS - 18th APRIL: American cello player Tristan Honsinger performs live at the jazzmarathon in the Oosterpoort in Groningen, the Netherlands on 16th April 1987. (photo by Frans Schellekens/Redferns)

    Tristan Honsinger obituary

  • Tyshawn Sorey.

    Jazz album of the month
    Tyshawn Sorey Trio: Continuing review – genre-hopping triumph from award-winning drummer

July 2023

  • Photo of Tony BENNETT<br>FRANCE - JUNE 01: Photo of Tony BENNETT; (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)

    Tony Bennett obituary

    American singer whose artistry and power earned him hits in the 50s and 60s, and a late career renaissance
  • Left to right: Matthieu Michel, Rob Luft, Elina Juni and Fred Thomas.

    Jazz album of the month
    Elina Duni: A Time to Remember review – a unique voice in jazz

    Albanian-born Elina Duni sounds intensely like herself while drawing on a variety of influences, as her impeccable trio back her with diamond-bright sounds
  • Peter Br tzmann Performs Live In Amsterdam<br>AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND - AUGUST 12: Baritone Sax player Peter Brotzmann performs live on stage at Bimhuis in Amsterdam, Netherlands on August 12 1987 (photo by Frans Schellekens/Redferns)

    Peter Brötzmann obituary

    German saxophonist who was a pioneering figure in the world of European free jazz

June 2023

  • Michael Blake and Chroma Nova

    Jazz album of the month
    Michael Blake/Chroma Nova: Dance of the Mystic Bliss review – joyously audacious jazz

    The Canadian saxophonist showcases his flair for the intricate and spontaneous on an album that spans funky guitar hooks to Ellingtonesque reveries

May 2023

  • Claude Tchamitchian, Clément Petit, Zaza Desiderio and Naïssam Jalal

    Jazz album of the month
    Naïssam Jalal: Healing Rituals review – cinematic album salutes the natural world

    A remarkable artist, the visionary flautist and her skilful partners have created a startling album that draws on techniques from classical, jazz, hip-hop and more
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