Matthew Rotker-Lynn, Introducing, Cellar Live ***

An EP from newcomer guitarist Matthew Rotker-Lynn. He's 26, hails from Milwaukee and lives in New York. Here he delivers a studio date made at Brooklyn studio Big Orange Sheep with bassist Alex Claffy, drummer Jimmy Macbride and featuring pianist …

Published: 17 Mar 2024. Updated: 40 days.

An EP from newcomer guitarist Matthew Rotker-Lynn. He's 26, hails from Milwaukee and lives in New York. Here he delivers a studio date made at Brooklyn studio Big Orange Sheep with bassist Alex Claffy, drummer Jimmy Macbride and featuring pianist Aaron Goldberg on a few tracks - Goldberg himself is on the latest Yes Trio album Spring Sings just out. ''I first saw Aaron play,'' says Rotker-Lynn, ''at the Newport Jazz Festival with Kurt Rosenwinkel when I was 16''. Solid, lightly swinging, with an emphasis on pristine melodicism and efficient processing of chord changes and tempi, the treatment of Duke Pearson Honeybuns nonet piece 'You Know I Care' - in the last 20 years covered by among others Wayne Escoffery and Sullivan Fortner - finds the essence of Rotker-Lynn most and is our first port of call.

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Tutu Puoane, Wrapped in Rhythm Vol 1, SoulFactory Records ****

Produced by Larry Klein, this very stirring and powerful collection of songs from Belgium residing South African singer Tutu Puoane written in collaboration with her husband Belgian pianist Ewout Pierreux is themed around the poetry of Lebo …

Published: 16 Mar 2024. Updated: 40 days.

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Produced by Larry Klein, this very stirring and powerful collection of songs from Belgium residing South African singer Tutu Puoane written in collaboration with her husband Belgian pianist Ewout Pierreux is themed around the poetry of Lebo Mashile whose In A Ribbon of Rhythm Puoane has long since found inspirational. Mashile's work tackles themes such as life in the new South Africa and dwells on such issues as the place of women within the societal fabric of the Rainbow Nation. Among the personnel are guest Larry Goldings whose Hammond organ sound pops up perkily on 'Illicit Love'. Puoane's voice lands tonally somewhere between Sibongile Khumalo and Dianne Reeves'. Puoane plays Ronnie Scott's on 30 May