Tord Gustavsen – piano Tore Brunborg – saxophones Mats Eilertsen – bass Jarle Vespestad – drums There was a ripple of applause as the bird-like figure of Tord Gustavsen and his new ensemble made up of some of Scandinavia’s finest jazz musicians, took to the stage… then silence. Gently the undulating sound of Gustavsen’s piano taking its first steps emerged from the stage. From these first notes it...

I was excited to learn that Jazz saxophonist Andy Sheppard was recording his first album ‘Movements in Colour’  for the ECM label. What really caught my attention however was when I got news that he was performing relatively locally to me at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Not only that but the great Arild Andersen was playing double bass. What followed was a most enjoyable evening spent with a couple of...

Hailing from the highly creative and vibrant Icelandic music scene, Sigur Rós are known for their ethereal and sometimes eclectic musical stylings. Their recent gig to a packed house at Wolverhampton’s Civic Hall shows that even when scaled down to their basics, the ‘slow motion’ rockers can still create a euphoric wall of sound. Not known for its good acoustics, the Civic Hall’s hard walls and high balcony this...

The fabulous Haden Freeman Concert Hall at the RNCM in Manchester, UK was about 3/4 full on Saturday Oct 25, 2008 to play host to a vibrant and creative Bobo Stenson Trio. The trio, comprising pianist Bobo Stenson, bassist Anders Jormin and drummer/percussionist Jon Fält didn’t fail to impress, mostly playing pieces from their album Cantando. Stenson showed why he has been the choice of pianist over the years for names such as Jan...