Pianist Vijay Iyer cuts a singular presence on the American jazz scene. With a cerebral, but accessible post-modern style, he has made his presence felt with a run of albums featuring his own cast of collaborators. Best known for his work with altoist Rudresh Mahanthappa and Mike Ladd he won Jazzwise album of the year in 2004 with In What Language? and since then has continued to craft a singular style that makes him stand out on the sometimes hidebound American scene. Kevin Le Gendre talks to Vijay ahead of the release of his latest albums Tragicomic and Door with Fieldwork and his London Jazz Festival appearance later in the year.

Saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock has within a short period of time become part of the progressive adventurous stream of jazz coming out of the London scene centred around the F-IRE Collective. With her new group she this month debuts new album Sleepthief in the company of forward-thinking American drummer Tom Rainey and pianist Liam Noble. Duncan Heining talks to Ingrid about her fast-developing career and how she sees the direction of her music in a rapidly changing musical landscape.

The cello isn’t exactly regarded as one of the great jazz instruments, but trio leader Brinkmann bows and plucks with aplomb on this thoroughly engaging debut recording, at times causing his cello to hum like a particularly fat double bass, at others scratching and sawing as if participating in some avant-garde classical-music experiment. This young German trio obviously like to subvert expectations, so you can never be quite sure what the next track on this collection of fragments – 18 pieces in just over 50 minutes – is going to sound like.

Sunnyside SSC 1183    ****
JD Allen (ts), Gregg August (b), Rudy Royston (d), Eric Revis (ghost b) and Gerald Cleaver (ghost d). Rec date not given

JD Allen has recently become the tenor of choice for many two-horn groups in New York (including those of trumpeters Jeremy Pelt and David Weiss). But here, on his Sunnyside debut, he’s out on his own sans keyboards with just bass and drums. It’s worth pointing out that August is the talented bassist whose two albums as leader, both with Myron Walden in the line-up, we’ve been urging readers to check out.

David Gallant talks to the trombonist about how he got started, the instruments he has played over the years and his all time favourite choice. He also reports on the latest instrument developments and launches

 “My musical background stems from the church”, says Brown. “Mum was the choir director and church organist for many years and taught me general music theory, the Hammond organ, piano and encouraged me to learn the guitar too – which I also played at church. I am currently the church organist.”

B&S Challenger Bb MBX trumpet

This German made horn has to be the lightest horn that I’ve ever laid hands on – and it’s not that I’m used to handling Monettes or Taylors! No, this horn is really light and it’s well balanced. Coming with hand lapped Monel pistons with boxed bronze springs, there is no doubting the quality of the components, although I did find that the spit slide on the second valve was a tad tight. I was also somewhat surprised that there was no tap on the third tuning slide. And if I’m being really picky why doesn’t the curve on the front crook match that of the back pipe?

The audience had high expectations from this double bill, and they were certainly not disappointed. The fact that an established jazz figure such as Antonio Hart could be the evening’s opener was an indication of what musical gems were in store.  

The Antonio Hart Quartet featured John Goldsby on bass, Phil DeGreg piano, Steve Davis on drums and the band’s leader on alto sax (all of whom were tutors on this years Jazzwise Summer School). The quartet kicked off with ‘Here I Stand’, one of Hart’s own compositions, which earned him a Grammy nomination back in 1997.