Alfa Mist, Variables, Anti ***

Featured artists on this latest from crossover jazz grime pianist and producer Alfa Mist include bass guitarist/singer Kaya Thomas-Dyke on 'Aged Eyes' alas just a fairly average song with strings that you might hear anonymously and only half engage …

Published: 21 Apr 2023. Updated: 12 months.

Featured artists on this latest from crossover jazz grime pianist and producer Alfa Mist include bass guitarist/singer Kaya Thomas-Dyke on 'Aged Eyes' alas just a fairly average song with strings that you might hear anonymously and only half engage with on the radio. On 'Apho' South African singer Bongeziwe Mabandla whose ethereal vocals are more to our taste than the rapping elsewhere is better. But if the whole album was more like improvised track 'BC' rather than a journey down the lush more orchestrated sweet centred route it would be far more gripping. 'Cycles' never gets going, 'The Gist' is more interesting. But nothing on Variables is really that essential. Disappointing certainly compared to the 5 star Bring Backs. Drummer Jas Kayser's contribution however is strong and builds even more her profile although we are still waiting for the definitive statement from her. Out today

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Dee Dee Bridgewater, Yazz Ahmed, Arun Ghosh, Baptiste Trotignon - jazz at this summer's Proms

Very much blink and you'll miss it in the classical juggernaut that is the Proms but the jazz element for this year's running in the summer includes Dee Dee Bridgewater, Yazz Ahmed, Arun Ghosh and Baptiste Trotignon. Trumpeter Yazz Ahmed and …

Published: 20 Apr 2023. Updated: 12 months.

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Very much blink and you'll miss it in the classical juggernaut that is the Proms but the jazz element for this year's running in the summer includes Dee Dee Bridgewater, Yazz Ahmed, Arun Ghosh and Baptiste Trotignon. Trumpeter Yazz Ahmed and clarinettist Arun Ghosh participate in the Sage at Gateshead strand of the beyond-London element of the Proms appearing at 10pm on 21 July. The same Gateshead strand also features Portuguese fado icon Mariza and pop singer Self Esteem. Also at the Sage are French pianist Baptiste Trotignon who joins counter tenor Reginald Mobley in a programme of African-American spirituals on 23 July in the afternoon.

At the Albert Hall itself on 1 August main 2023 jazz interest this year from the States is the appearance of the great singer Dee Dee Bridgewater with the Carnegie Hall National Youth Jazz Orchestra plus guest trumpeter, orchestra director and soloist Sean Jones, in a programme of Duke Ellington, Roy Hargrove, Wycliffe Gordon, Mongo Santamaria and more.

Reginald Mobley main image top left and Baptiste Trotignon, photo: BBC. Arun Ghosh, above, photo: press

The full programme, which includes appearances by Rufus Wainwright, Sir Simon Rattle conducting the LSO in Mahler's 9th, and by cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason on the last night runs from 14 July