November 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 November 2026
UK
PD3 (Pete Downes Trio) - Black Mountain
(self release/Bandcamp) - Released: 23rd September 2026
Pete Downes (guitar); Andy Coe (bass); Tim Bruce (drums)
'Pete Downes is a British guitarist, composer, and educator known for his work in modern jazz fusion, classical and ambient music. He has built a reputation for blending diverse influences, ranging from jazz and classical composers such as J.S. Bach to contemporary guitarists including Pat Metheny, Jeff Beck, and Ralph Towner. "Pete Downes channels vast landscapes - Arizona's deserts, Utah's canyons, South Wales' ancient peaks (with a magnificently brooding slab of mountainous rock on the cover) - into his own finely sculpted fusion journey of texture and atmosphere. His trio of bassist Andy Coe and drummer Tim Bruce lock in behind the taut yet spacious guitar lines, that draw on Metheny and Towner while retaining a distinctly British pastoral sensibility. With refined melodies and solos that bite and groove, this is as refreshing as a cool mountain breeze." (Mike Flynn, Jazzwise)
Rachael Calladine - Soho Elegy
(Kickspin Records) - Released: 18th September 2026
Rachael Calladine (vocals); Pat McCarthy (guitar); Dr Adrian York (piano); Andy Tytherleigh (bass); Si Potts (drums); James McMillan (trumpet)
'Following the critical success of The Game, vocalist Rachael Calladine returns with Soho Elegy, a collection of original songs written by long-standing collaborators pianist Dr Adrian York and guitarist Pat McCarthy, alongside two compositions by Calladine herself. The atmospheric opening track ‘Walk of Shame’ explores the loneliness and vulnerability behind the search for love. The title track recalls the Soho jazz world in which Calladine immersed herself during the 1990s, while ‘The Golden Hour’ draws on her experience as an Emergency Medical Technician, connecting medicine’s critical first hour after trauma with the emotional process of letting go......... “I wanted the songs to feel familiar,” says Calladine. “The album reflects the jazz, pop and soul I’ve loved throughout my career. Above all, I wanted to make an honest record that jazz audiences would enjoy, but that anyone could connect with.” (album notes)
Matt Carmichael - Held In The Dark
(Porthole Music) - Released: 16th October 2026
Matt Carmichael (tenor saxophone, piano); Charlie Stewart (violin); Chris Amer, James Mackay (guitars);
Fergus McCreadie (piano); Ali Watson (bass); Stephen Henderson (drums); Tom Gibbs (clarinet)
Acclaimed Scottish saxophonist and composer Matt Carmichael returns with Held in the Dark, a deeply personal album reflecting the experience of supporting a loved one through ongoing health struggles - exploring the nuances of isolation, resilience and hope. The album brings together long-standing friends and collaborators from Scotland's thriving music scene...... Widely recognised for his distinctive blend of jazz and folk influences, Carmichael expands his musical world on Held in the Dark. Drawing inspiration from the intimacy, warmth and guitar-led soundscapes of singer-songwriter records, the album embraces a more indie-folk aesthetic while remaining rooted in the improvisational freedom and collective chemistry that define his music and live performances..... ' (album notes)
Moses Boyd - Songs For Sinners
(Exodus Records) - Released: 30th October 2026
Joshua McKenzie ("MckNasty") (drums); Niji Adeleye, Gavin Powell (organ); Charlie Stacey (keys, synths); Greg Foat (synthesizers); Renato Paris (piano); Neil Charles (bass); Jihad Darwish, Lawrence Insula (electric bass); Nikos Ziarkas, Artie Zaitz (guitar); Patrick Cameron, Oli Savill (percussion); Donovan Haffner, Quinn Oulton (saxophone); Chuck Strangers (rap vocals); Raelle, Amber-Simone, Shantéh Fuller (Shantéh), Zara McFarlane (vocals); Rarely Always (spoken word / poem); Stephanie Oyerinde, Emily Holligan, Rebecca Thomas; Emmanuel Onafowokan, Christina Matovu (background vocals); Earlham Primary School Kids Choir (background vocals); Kitchen Choir (background vocals (recorded at home with Boyd's family) [1, 2, 3, 4], Moses Boyd (drums, synths, programming, vocals, background vocals)
'Mercury Prize-shortlisted, MOBO Award-winning drummer, composer and producer Moses Boyd returns with his first album in six years. Songs For Sinners is the record Boyd has been building towards since he first discovered music. A deeply personal body of work, it explores the push and pull of faith as something profoundly human – a force capable of comforting, dividing, unsettling and restoring in equal measure. Across an ambitious, vocal-led collection that fuses gospel, jazz, soundsystem culture, Caribbean rhythms, 808s and soaring choir harmonies, Boyd expands the language of contemporary jazz into something entirely his own. It’s a record that draws from the church he grew up in, the London sound system culture that shaped him, and the freedom of improvisation, asking what sacred music can sound like when it’s no longer confined by convention.' (album notes)