Europe Jazz Media Chart August 2025

Christine Stephan, JAZZTHETIK:

METEORS Helix Protocol I States of Play:
Helix Protocol II – Live in der Kölner Feuerwache
Various Artists: Helix Protocol III
(div. Projekte, Fred Frith and Helix-Festival Juni 2025)
rent a dog

YOUTUBE

Dick Hovenga, Written in Music:

KASPER RIETKERK The Happy Warrior
Kasper Rietkerk Records

Dick Hovenga:

"The young Dutch saxophonist Kasper Rietkerk is the big new name in Dutch jazz. An incredibly talented jazz musician who decided to move to London after the pandemic to continue his musical studies. It turned out to be an excellent move, which, after his debut album The Island last year, has now led to his beautiful second album, The Happy Worrier.

Of course, The Island was already a promising debut. With Emma Rawitz on tenor sax, among others, who has also made her breakthrough to a wider audience in recent years, Rietkerk already stood out as a very good saxophonist and songwriter. With The Happy Worrier, he now finds his greatest form in tranquility and atmosphere.    

With Tom Herbert on bass, John Parricello on guitar, and Jonah Evans on drums, he has assembled a wonderful “new” band. Just like his debut, this is a band whose musicians also live and study/work in London. It is also striking that a big name like Herbert wants to work with him. That speaks volumes for Rietkerk.

While 2023 saw no better Dutch jazz"

Viktor Bensusan, jazzdergisi.com:

AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS Solace of the Mind
Red Hook Records

YOUTUBE 1
YOUTUBE 2
YOUTUBE 3

Viktor Bensusan:

"In this album, Amina Claudine Myers bridges hymns with the blues, nostalgia with hope, long gone with the recent, on her unique tempi with her good old piano. She is a blessing in the world of no-named jazz ..."

Nuno Catarino, jazz.pt:

GONÇALO PRAZERES Atomic
Robalo

BANDCAMP
Jazz.pt

Nuno Catarino:

"Less than two years after Cadavre Exquis, saxophonist and composer Gonçalo Prazeres returns with a new album titled Atomic, featuring a quartet composed of João Carreiro on guitar, André Carvalho on double bass, and João Pereira on drums."

Henning Bolte, freelance:

ANAT FORT The  Dreamworld of Paul Motian
Sunnyside

BANDCAMP 

Henning Bolte:

"The musical work of drummer Paul Motian continues to be continued very continuously  since his passing in 2011. Regularly new versions of his music are released, and music explicitly in his spirit reaches us. In June an album by Lisbon bassist Hernani Faustino “Gratitude: Motian and More” was nominated by Nuno Catarino in the Europe Jazz Media Charts. Now this album with 11 pieces by pianist Anat Fort and her group comprising guitarist Steve Cardenas, bassist Gary Wang and drummer Matt Wilson joined. All of them belong to the young musicians that Motian collaborated with until his death (a.o. in his Electric Bebop Band and in the Paul Motian Band on his album “Garden of Eden”). Among the 11 pieces are five pieces never recorded by Motian himself: Dreamworld, Riff Raff, Tacho, Umh Hum and Prairie Avenue Cowboy, Motian’s take of Americana (he was a great Western-fan).

All except the Americana one were already in recorded 2018 by German trio Andreas Schmidt (p) Heinrich Köbberling (dr) and Robert Menzel (sax). Schmidt also recorded a Motian-spirited album already in 2015 with Jan Roder (b) and Max Andrzejewski (dr) for Swiss Unit label. Yallah and Dreamworld you can also find on Belgium group Cinema Paradiso’s Motian album from 2019. These immediately popping up allies show how far the Motian mycelium has already spread (worthwhile to once make up a proper documentation of it). With this album, Fort’s group succeeded in delivering a sharp cut out of the original and own colouring, which added a beautiful branching to the Motian mycelium.

Fort’s  album with Motian: “A Long Story” (ECM, 2007). Matt Wilson was closely connected to Paul Motian (see HERE). For Motian connections see my article Motian-Music Continued 1 | Written in Music.  More on past, present and future of Motian’s work you can find on FB under Uncle Paul’s Jazz Closet Radio."

Sebastian Scotney, UK Jazz News:

FINN GENOCKEY - Tacet Trust
Fresh Sound New Talent

REVIEW by Chris Welch 
BANDCAMP 
Website 

Sebastian Scotney:

"Finn Genockey is a young drummer (and also a pianist, arranger and band leader and someone who is always making good things happen). He is also the grandson of Liam Genockey who was at the drums in folk-rock pioneers Steeleye Span. I became aware of him when the great Stan Sulzmann started employing him in his big band, at a time when Finn was still a student at Guildhall. Could there be a stronger signal of his quality than that? I don't know of one. His classy quartet on this album  has  Josh Short (trumpet & flugelhorn), Rasmus Sørensen (piano) and Nico Klöffer (double bass). Great compositions - "More Than Yesterday, Less Than Tomorrow" has amazing melodic ease with complexity going on underneath. Our reviewer, UK music writing legend Chris Welch, writes about " a brave new world of beautiful music, as uplifting as the dawn of a bright new day.""

Lars Mossefinn, Dag og tid: 

ANDREAS HADDELAND TRIO Estuar
Tare Records

BANDCAMP

Patrik Sandberg, Orkesterjournalen: 

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN & 4TH DIMENSION
Live at Montreux 2022
Ear Music

Patrik Sandberg:

"John McLauglin history with the Montreux Jazz Festival spans 52 years as a headlining artist and sometime guest performer. This is a recording  with John McLaughling and his band 4th Dimension at the festival 2022, delivering a masterclass in fusion to the audience of Stravinski Auditorium."

Cim Meyer, All That ...:

SHIJIN Theory of Everything
alter-nativ 

Cim Meyer:

"It is a bit pretentious to state that the performances by the quartet Shijin should be experienced as a practical application of the “Theory of Everything” in music. But never mind. The music speaks for itself on this release from 2021.

The idea or principle is to reconcile the infinitely large and small in different constellations: Eight pieces which are first developed as duets and completed by the quartet. The sonic world combines electrical and acoustic components, and the music involves intricate arrangements and extensive improvisations by all. Keywords are rhythmic complexity and instrumental facilities from the top shelf.

Shijin is French Laurent David (el-b and band leader), Belgian Stéphane Galland (d), French Stéphane Guillaume (s / fl / b-cl) and Brazilian Malcolm Braff (keys)."

Matthieu Jouan, citizenjazz.com:

BRÌGHDE CHAIMBEUL Sunwise
tak:til / Glitterbeat

Matthieu Jouan:

"Because bagpipes! Whether they are small or large, have bellows or a wind bag, their pure, haunting sound cannot leave you indifferent. It's the drone, that seemingly unchanging music animated by a multitude of delicate, microtonal jolts. Because you can literally hear the fire crackling. Scotland and its distinctive folklore find renewal in improvisation. Because Brighde Chaimbeul, this musician, is rare even at such an early stage in her career."

Axel Stinshoff, Jazz thing:

AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS Solace of the Mind
Red Hook Records

Luca Vitali, Giornale della Musica:

CHRISTIAN WALLUMRØD Percolation
Sofa Music

BANDCAMP

Yves Tassin, JazzMania:

MOANIN' BIRDS Prophets & Profits
Hypnote Records

YOUTUBE 

Yves Tassin:

"A marvellous terrain of sonic variety dotted with continual surprises." (Jean-Pierre Goffin)

Jos Demol, jazzhalo.be:

NEW ORIGIN The Poet’s Walk
Fundacja Słuchaj

BANDCAMP 

Jos Demol:

"Poetry in motion: different emotions, great rhythm, and originality."

Kaspars Zavileiskis, jazzin.lv:

THEON CROSS Affirmations:
Live at Blue Note New York
New Soil

BANDCAMP

Kaspars Zavileiskis: 

"Theon Cross's debut at the Blue Note club in New York two years ago was a significant event for British new wave jazz, for the army of tuba players, and, of course, for the artist himself. Therefore, quite predictably, it was finally released as a live album. Moreover, Theon Cross had prepared for the big event thoroughly, creating noticeably different-sounding versions of his studio album and single compositions, using sound pedals and playing leisurely with his new wave jazz colleagues from Chicago, including the brilliant saxophonist Isaiah Collier. It is a worthy celebration of this significant fact, and for that Theon Cross, at the very least, deserves a handshake from modern jazz fans. There is no doubt that he will continue to redefine the meaning of the tuba in the jazz genre."

Christof Thurnherr, Jazz’n'More:

THREE-LAYER CAKE
Sounds The Color Of Grounds
Otherly Love Records

BANDCAMP

Jacek Brun, www.jazz-fun.de:

KONSTANTIN KÖLMEL PROJECT
FEAT. NILS LANDGREN Confidence
Kölmel

jazz-fun.de
YOUTUBE

Jacek Brun:

"This album is a musical journey through diverse sonic landscapes, emotional highs, and creative influences. The Konstantin Kölmel Project impresses with a clear, open sound that highlights the emotional depth of the compositions. At the heart of it all is the distinct voice of Kilian Sladek, who explores a wide range of vocal expression with subtle sensitivity – moving between introspection, melancholy, and vibrant energy.

The pieces unfold with an impressive lightness that never slips into triviality. On the contrary: beneath its accessibility lies a remarkable compositional richness that captivates even the most discerning listeners. Supported by outstanding solos and the distinctive presence of Nils Landgren, the ensemble succeeds in combining emotional depth with stylistic diversity.

"Confidence" is an album that strikes a balance – between gentle restraint and powerful unfolding, between elegance and expressiveness. A musical statement that has truly earned its place in today’s jazz landscape."

Bega Villalobos, In&OutJazz:

PERICO SAMBEAT & ORQUESTRA
JAZZ DE MATOSINHOS Boreal
Cara

BANDCAMP

Bega Villalobos:

"Perico Sambeat releases another album with this kind of lineup, this time with the Matosinhos Jazz Orchestra (OJM) for the creation of a Boreal work composed of eight tracks that transport us to a new musical adventure, led by one of Europe's finest composers, arrangers, and saxophonists."

Mike Flynn, Jazzwise: 

THEON CROSS Affirmations
Live at Blue Note New York
New Soil

BANDCAMP

Krzysztof Komorek, Donos kulturalny: 

BERYLIUM + PAWEŁ SZULIK Kumonosu-jō
Antenna Non Gratta

donos.home.blog
BANDCAMP

Krzysztof Komorek:

"William Shakespeare, Akira Kurosawa, shakuhachi, contrabass clarinet and experimental electronics. The album by duo Beryllium [Michal Gorczynski and Andrzej Izdebski] with flute player Paweł Szulik, ties all these elements together, drawing inspiration from the film "Throne of Blood" and striving to evoke its mood. A distinctive blend of unconventional instruments, rare textures, and varied styles. A meeting of sounds and cultures."

Jan Granlie, salt-peanuts.eu: 

VIGLEIK STORAAS
Live at Trondheim Jazzfestival
Heartbeat Music

Jan Granlie:

"It must have been the great, wet dream for the Norwegian pianist Vigleik Storaas to share the stage at jazzfest.no (Trondheim jazzfestival) on June 6, 2009, together with Swedish bassist Palle Danielsson and American drummer Jack DeJohnette. We get an excellent piano jazz trio performance, where they open with "Alice in Wonderland", before moving on to Joe Henderson's "Isotope", Danielsson's "Palle's Headche", Steve Swallow's "Eiderdown" and "Falling Grace", Storaas's beautiful ballad, "Lines", and end up with Kenny Wheeler's beautiful ballad "Everybody's Song But My Own", and the evening is complete. This is a historic, Norwegian release, just enjoy it."