MATTHEW HALSALL Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Trumpeter, bandleader and composer Matthew Halsall has established himself at the forefront of the contemporary jazz scene. In part that was down to his landmark album, An Ever Changing View, which is an expansive project blending jazz, electronica, global and spiritual jazz influences. Now reissued, the album highlights Halsall's signature meditative sound while showcasing his most experimental work yet, pushing boundaries with innovative production techniques. Composed in striking modernist settings with breathtaking views, the album captures a sense of openness and escapism and embraces a fresh start after Halsall reset his creative approach and explored sound with complete freedom to craft a deeply immersive and transformative record.

Review: Reissued on Gondwana after an unexpected sea-change, Matthew Halsall's Bright Sparkling Light was originally conceived as a tour-only exclusive, its three exquisites, averaging seven to ten minutes per suite, serving only the most loyal and dedicated of fans eager enough to clasp their mitts around the limited edition at the time of his EU and UK tour in October-November 2023. Now, its rarefied airs get dropped; so too do the folk scramble to lend it a second listen, discovering Halsall's preference for hypnotic drones, tenor sax progressions crafted around lush flute loops, and portrayals of the artist's favourite rural location: Newborough Forest, both at daytime and nighttime. 'The Tide And The Moon' is the closing highlight, nicely closing the gap between dewey morning and crept-in crepuscule.

Review: Matthew Halsall continues to serve as a true devotee of spiritual jazz in the UK with his stellar new album An Ever Changing View. Restlessly prolific and drawing from a seemingly bottomless well of ideas, Halsall approached this record as a reset of sorts, affording himself freedom to explore sound in all aspects. The end result remains true to his velvet-smooth approach, delivering understated instrumental flourishes around delicate grooves to make for the gentlest of access points for the labyrinthe halls of jazz, but as ever there's much nuance and complexity bedded into these delicate compositions to yield new discoveries over repeated listens.

Review: Matthew Halsall's trajectory as a leading light of spiritual jazz in the UK continues apace with his stellar new album An Ever Changing View. Restlessly prolific and drawing from a seemingly bottomless well of ideas, he approached this record as a reset of sorts, affording himself freedom to explore sound in all aspects. The end result remains true to his velvet-smooth approach, delivering understated instrumental flourishes around delicate grooves to make for the gentlest of access points for the labyrinthe halls of jazz, but as ever there's much nuance and complexity bedded into these delicate compositions to yield new discoveries over repeated listens.

Review: The Alt label hits its second record with a sterling cast of wayward techno bods in tow. Things fire up in a tough and trippy manner as Delta wrings all kinds of tricky noises out of his gear and keeps the bass brooding in the low end, but hold tight for a perfectly 90s chord progression in that pad line. Cabanelas has a bleepy mission on 'Sambu Y Los Morsas' which flits between creepy passages of tension and acid tweaking drops. Z@p keeps things melancholic while adhering to the record's over-arching old-skoool outboard vibe, and then Justin Drake and Quinn Whalley sign the record off with a slice of proto trance for the deepest of 90s-tinted dancefloor reveries.

Review: As part of his Gondwana label's 10th anniversary, masterful Manchester trumpeter and contemporary jazz trendsetter Matthew Halsall has put together a special deluxe edition of his beautiful "Colour Yes" album with thick reverse board sleeves, silver block letter foiling and two printed inner sleeves. First released in 2009, the album showcases Halsall's deeply emotive style across the 8 achingly good, supremely spiritual tracks that glow with gorgeous piano playing, gently lilting drums and his own fantastic leads.

Review: Second time around for Matthew Halsall's sixth solo album, Salute to the Sun, a set that many critics cited as being among the best contemporary jazz albums of 2020. As the title suggests, it's unarguably Halsall's most summery album to date, with the celebrated bandleader and trumpeter - accompanied by some of Manchester's most accomplished players - offering up a swathe of relaxed, life-affirming compositions that combine modal and contemporary jazz themes with gentle, Latin-influenced rhythms, breezy instrumentation (harps, kalimbas, marimbas and so on) and subtle nods towards Charles Stepney and Terry Callier. Some of the woodwind and brass solos are similarly superb, while the album's sun-soaked, easy-going atmosphere is alluring whatever the weather.

Review: Matthew Halsall is one of a few key UK artists who helped make jazz cool again over the last decade. His magnificent trumpet skills and ability to tap into plenty of orchestral talent has resulted in plenty of vital albums on his Gondwana label and one of the best, if you ask us, is When The World Was One. It's a spiritual and joyous mix of contemporary and classic styles in the view of your Alice Coltrane types and now gets reissued across double vinyl. Whether it's soaring brass, heart-melting piano playing, soaring crescendos or more quiet and intimate moments you seek, this an essential jazz album whether you're a wisened old cat or a younger newcomer.

Review: Following 2014's When The World Was One, Halsall and the Gondwana collective continue their spiritual jazz adventure with another immaculate narrative. Now with much more vocal prowess, singer Josephine Oniyama plays a lead role in the story, adding consistency and personality to the Halsall's swooning, cinematic odysseys. Highlights include the Hathaway-style half spoken/half sung "Badder Weather", the frenetic double bass and brushed drum crescendos of "The Land Of", the (lark) ascending strings and oriental scales of "Cushendun" and the smoky, faraway Coltraneisms of the title track. Modern jazz doesn't get any more authentic than this.