August 2026
Some Recent Releases
Recent Releases
A few words about recent releases / reviews:
Apart from where they are included in articles on this website, I don't have a 'Reviews' section for a number of reasons:
-
I receive so many requests to review recordings it is impossible to include them all.
-
Unlike some publications/blogs, Sandy Brown Jazz is not a funded website and it is not possible to pay reviewers.
-
Reviews tend to be personal opinions, something a reviewer likes might not suit you, or vice versa.
-
It is difficult to capture music in words, so much better to be able to listen and see whether the music interests you.
For these reasons in particular I just include a selection of recent recordings below where I share the notes issued by the musician(s) as an introduction and links to samples so you can 'taste' the music for yourselves. For those who like to read reviews, these, of course, can be checked out on other sites.
Some albums are priced in dollars or other currencies. These are marked ^. There are currency options if you proceed to order. Recordings are now regularly available on different formats (CD, mp3 downloads, vinyl) or platforms e.g iTunes, Spotify, etc. I am unable to list them all so it is worth checking if you have a favourite platform).
Featured In August 2026
UK
John Donaldson - We Were Together I forget the rest
(Hexagonal Records) - Released: 5th June 2026
John Donaldson (piano); Norma Winstone, Rebecka Edlund (voice); Rob Luft (guitar); Tom Mason (bass); Jeff Ballard (drums); Iain Ballamy (saxophones); Graeme Flowers (trumpet)
'After a career spanning more than five decades, acclaimed British pianist and composer John Donaldson brings together a remarkable cast of collaborators and friends for We Were Together, I Forget the Rest – a deeply personal new album written in memory of his late wife, Agatha Coffey. Recorded over two days at Real World Studios in September 2025, the project united musicians connected to different chapters of Donaldson’s career. His relationship with Ballamy dates back to the late 1970s, while he first worked alongside Ballard during his years on the California jazz scene in the 1980s. His collaboration with Winstone stretches back to the 1990s, a period that included extensive touring and an appearance at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Rather than relying on extensive rehearsal, the recording was built on trust, pontaneity and shared musical understanding. … The result balances lyrical writing with the responsiveness and energy of live ensemble performance…… Winner of the piano category at the British Jazz Awards, he has long been recognised as one of the UK’s most distinctive jazz pianists. Drawing on influences ranging from Bach and Ravel to the classic groups of Miles Davis and John Coltrane to name a few, Donaldson’s writing throughout We Were Together, I Forget the Rest is reflective, melodic and deeply human. ......' (JazzFuel)