Alexander Hawkins

Here's a piece I just wrote about the '3 Compositions (EEMHM) 2011' set...essays to follow on the Tristano and Trillium boxes in the coming days.

I've been lucky enough to hear this, and IMHO it's really wonderful. Jack's brushwork on a couple of the tunes is off the chart. Really interesting tune selection too - there's a bunch of tunes on there you don't really hear them play too often (if at all). Re the MPS issue - I forget, although the (excellent) liner notes do make it clear how the session came about (and, by the same token, how it came not to be issued at the time).

Not a direct answer to the question, but can I really recommend this project? https://helloskinny.bandcamp.com/album/hello-skinny Tom Skinner is a fantastic drummer, with a really bewildering array of influences - The Residents being only one amongst many...this includes a great cover version...

Great - glad it got there in good time! Hope you enjoy it...

Feel free to drop me a line if you do want a copy - I have some! John and Hamid together is quite something - what a joy to play with :)

I'm an OP fan. Sure, some of it winds me up...e.g. his comping can be really suffocating (some of the stuff on 'Roy and Diz'), and of course, he often seems just to play his 'stuff'...but when it's good, I think it's really, really great. That Stratford Shakespearean Festival record is one of my favourite piano trio records out there. And don't get me wrong - instrumental prowess doesn't bother me as such - but he can *really* play the instrument. A little bit like sometimes with e.g. Freddie Hubbard, sometimes, it's fun just to listen to someone who's all over their instrument, and enjoying themselves doing it. I don't really know Monty Alexander's records, although have caught him live at festivals a couple of times in recent years, and both times, I have to say, it was really genuinely joyful, swinging music.

Really kind - thank you!

For anyone who doesn't do vinyl, the recent (otherwise vinyl-only) Convergence Quartet release, 'Owl Jacket', is now available digitally here. So, for that matter, is the previous one ('Slow and Steady') - although this is also available on CD. Big thanks to NoBusiness for letting us release them in this form too...please do check out their stuff and order the physical product from them - great people.

Pm sent!

For anyone interested, there's a complete broadcast via Bimhuis Radio of the recent Moholo-Moholo Quartet concert from the Bimhuis here!

Alexander - I really hope I can make it but it will be a last minute decision. Have a baby and toddler to contend with; if they go to sleep easy and on time that night I'll drive down. If not then...a collapse on the couch will be in order instead I saw Louis Moholo last time he played the vancouver jazz festival with the Dedication Orchestra and in a quartet with Evan Parker..it was fantastic so fingers crossed I can come out. If I do I'll certainly introduce myself! Sorry - only just saw this - hope you were able to make it...we had a blast!

For friends in Vancouver...I'm hitting tomorrow night (9.30pm) at Ironworks with the Louis Moholo-Moholo Quartet...please stop by and say hello!

Thanks so much for this - I really appreciate everyone taking the time to give it a listen! And just to say, if anyone is curious to hear the group live, the BBC are broadcasting a London gig we did a couple of months ago tomorrow night - here's a link.

Many thanks everyone!

A couple more reviews: London Jazz News Dalston Sound ...and also in this month's Wire. Thank you for the continued interest!

Superb record. I think you recommended it to me back in Medieval Times. Superb...and completely bonkers

Thank you for the continued interest in the CD...just wanted to share this complimentary review from AAJ. Hopefully more to follow!

Thanks for the reminder about this! I think I was on the road when they had the premiere, so I haven't actually seen this yet...very much looking forward!

John Butcher's solo work is pretty incredible.

Some reviews beginning to come in with the release date being Monday - thank you to John Fordham in The Guardian for this: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/apr/09/alexander-hawkins-trio-review Also just to say that if anyone happens to be in London this coming Monday, we're playing at Cafe Oto that night: https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/events/alexander-hawkins-trio/ ...we'd love to see you there!

Thanks so much for these kind comments - I really appreciate people taking the time to check it out!

Thanks so much!

Wow, thanks so much for the kind words, Bev!

Thank you!

Thanks so much Bev - and for checking out Roberto's album! Do you know this one? I haven't heard it yet, but would love to hear him with Kenny! Xybert, the AH Ensemble albums are well worth a listen if you don't want the trio disc to feel lonely on the journey south Ha ha, i was seriously going to say that i'll probably order at least one other AH disc to avoid lonely disc syndrome but ended up leaving it out. Yeah checking out the stuff under his own name has been on my to do list for ages, quite looking forward to this actually. Really kind of you - thanks! BTW I should mention that there'll be a vinyl-only Convergence Quartet album (on NoBusiness) appearing in May...will let you know!