Mike Hobart

Producer, vocalist and keyboard player Cory Henry is steeped in the songs of love, politics and the everyday that are the backbone of black music history. It was his canny arrangements that gave the band Snarky Puppy a knowing edge, and his astute vocals that made this summer’s orchestral Prom celebration of Stevie Wonder sparkle. He’s been a prolific recorder since striking out on his own in 2018 — three albums were nominated for last year’s Grammys; two albums are in competition now — and rece…

The EFG London Jazz Festival, back to its characteristic pre-pandemic sprawl, has this year added new projects and special events to a roster of acts who are doing the rounds. The stylistic range is vast — cutting-edge hip-hop and classic jazz are an everyday clash — and there is room for both the populist and the avant-garde. The Barbican’s opening weekend contrasted the acoustic with the amplified and revisited artists who had appeared at the 2022 festival but now had new things to say. Satur…

The title of Verneri Pohjola’s new album Monkey Mind refers to mental restlessness. For the Finnish trumpeter it is also a starting point to grapple with the maelstrom of emotions generated by his own restless spirit. The quartet is new — regular drummer Olavi Louhivuori is joined by UK pianist Kit Downes and Danish bassist Jasper Høiby — and moods are enhanced by synth programmer Tuomo Prättälä. The album opens with the aptly named “Party in the Attic”, a cross-stitch of rhythm, helter-skel…

Opening on November 10, the EFG London Jazz Festival’s 300-plus gigs encompass London’s concert venues and dense network of jazz clubs and arts hubs under a single umbrella. International in outlook but with strong local roots, the festival provides a snapshot of current jazz as well as a showcase for homegrown talent. Here is my selection of the very best events. The American saxophonist’s latest project, Where Are We, probes at the emotional fissures scarring the US. The repertoire is broad —…

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News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication

News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication

A nine-voice choir adds operatic power to the drummer’s angular themes

News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication

News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication