Europe Jazz Media Chart September 2025

Jan Granlie, salt-peanuts.eu: 

BENEDICTE MAURSETH Mirra
Hubro

Jan Granlie:

"On the album Mirra, the innovative Hardanger fiddle player Benedicte Maurseth invites us once again to the Hardangervidda – this time with a focus on the wild reindeer. When she released the album Hárr in 2022, she was praised for having created a masterpiece. Now she releases the sequel Mirra, which, like Hárr, is a concept album. This time the focus is on the wild reindeer, which she knows from her home area of Eidfjord in Hardanger. The work follows elements from the reindeer's distinctive sounds and annual cycle, as in "The Calf Rises", "Summer Grazing" and "Hunting March", as well as their behavior and adaptation to the nature they live in harmony with. And once again Maurseth has created a masterpiece of an album. She is one of the Norwegian folk musicians who expands the concept of folk music, somewhat in the same landscape as Erlend Apneseth, and with her regular band, consisting of Håkon Stene on percussion, Mats Eilertsen on bass and electronics, and Morten Qvenild on keyboards, she creates her own universe that helps take Norwegian folk music into a forward-looking landscape."

Christine Stephan, JAZZTHETIK:

FREDERIK KÖSTER K. on the Shore
Traumton

ardaudiothek.de
YOUTUBE

Dick Hovenga, Written in Music:

JAKUB KLIMIUK QUINTET (un)balanced
self-released

Dick Hovenga:

"Guitarist Jakub Klimiuk is one of those promising and interesting new musicians who have been emerging from the lively London jazz scene in recent years. Still a student, but already with an album released with his quintet, (un)balanced showcases his great talent to the full.

He has gathered a fine group of very talented young musicians around him, including Simeon May on tenor sax/bass clarinet, Cody Mass on piano, Kinran on double bass, and Adam Merell. It's also great that he got British tenor sax legend Mark Lockheart to play on two tracks. Musicians like this only play on the albums of young musicians if they truly believe in their talent.

(un)balanced is Klimiuk's view of the contemporary world and reality, in which we have to maneuver through the deluge of information that is dumped on everyone. It is difficult to find a good balance and inspiration in all the chaos of our times. As a result, the music is varied, sometimes harmonious and melodious, sometimes free and full of improvisation."

Viktor Bensusan, jazzdergisi.com:

GEORGIA MANCIO / ALAN BROADBENT
A Story Left Untold
Roomspin Records

YOUTUBE
YOUTUBE

Viktor Bensusan:

"Did you miss a vocalist with a sound rhythm section? This album may be a sound remedy. As duo, quartet as well as a Mahlerian orchestra and with maestro Alan Broadbent, Georgia will again be on your mind ..."

Nuno Catarino, jazz.pt:

CAMILA NEBBIA Rastro o Vacío
Lilaila Records

jazz.pt
BANDCAMP

Nuno Catarino:

"With this solo album, the versatile composer, improviser, and saxophonist Camila Nebbia has undoubtedly secured her place among the best."

Peter Slavid, UK Jazz News:

OLIE BRICE QUARTET All It Was
West Hill Records

YOUTUBE 
UK JAZZ NEWS review
BANDCAMP

Peter Slavid:

"This is a band of four outstanding improvising musicians: Olie Brice (bass), Rachel Musson (tenor sax), Alexander Hawkins (piano) and Will Glaser (drums).

What’s impressive about this album is the way it manages to balance the composed with the improvised. Brice’s compositions all carry dedications, including one reflecting the grief and pain of losing his father, Tosh Brice, and fused with the horror and despair at the genocide in Gaza. So the music is emotional, but also life-affirming.

This is a band of fine individuals, each with a distinctive voice, but brought together by Brice’s compositions to create an excellent album."

Lars Mossefinn, Dag og tid: 

BENEDICTE MAURSETH Mirra
Hubro

YOUTUBE

Patrik Sandberg, Orkesterjournalen:

NILS PETTER MOLVÆR Khmer Live in Bergen
Edition Records

Patrik Sandberg:

"Norwegian trumpeter and composer Nils Petter Molvær, clearly inspired by both Miles Davis and Jon Hassel, is undoubtedly one of the most prominent names in the electro-acoustic, improvised, composed musical hybrid that has become a genre of its own since the 1990s. A style-builder in jazztronica, or Nu-jazz as it has also been called,

Molvær is both a pioneer and a veteran. Khmer Live in Bergen is a live version of his iconic 1997 album Khmer (ECM) The album contains a modernized and energetic interpretation of the original. Released on Edition Records."

Cim Meyer, All That ...:

MIGUEL ZENÓN, ARIEL BRINGUEZ,
DEMIAN CABAUD & JORDI ROSSY
Law Years: The Music of Ornette Coleman
self-released

miguelzenon.com/project/law-years-the-music-of-ornette-coleman/
BANDCAMP

Cim Meyer:

"66 years has gone since Ornette Coleman’s album FOCUS ON SANITY – retitled by Atlantic’s producer Nesuhi Ertegun to THE SHAPE OF JAZZ TO COME – changed some basic concepts about jazz. 

Puerto Rican Miguel Zenón (b. 1976) heard Coleman’s iconic Lonely Woman for the first time in the mid-1990s and was mesmerized. Later, in 2019, Zenón formed a band with Spanish speaking musicians based in Europe to perform at the Bird’s Eye Jazz Club in Basel, Switzerland. They used the music of Ornette Coleman as the sole focus of the concert – and that is what is presented on this album. They had never played together as a band before, and they had no rehearsals but only a soundcheck before the concert. That is not a recommendable procedure, but in this case, it worked surprisingly well.

I suspect the concert was recorded with very little equipment and only two microphones. Anyway, the result is an honest fixture of what really happened on that small stage. And once you put your mind into it, you too will be mesmerized by Zenón (as), Ariel Bringuez (ts) from Cuba, Demian Cabaud (b) from Argentina, and Jordi Rossy (d) from Spain."

Matthieu Jouan, citizenjazz.com:

ARIEL BART After Silence
L’autre distribution

https://www.arielbart.com/ 

Matthieu Jouan:

"Even though the harmonica has a rich history, it is not the most common instrument in jazz, and its sharp sound is not the easiest to master. In this new album, Ariel Bart showcases her mastery and inventiveness. Accompanied by piano and cello, she composes music that is just as melodic and evocative as her previous work, though not always as simple as it seems. Currently based in Berlin, Bart continues to produce music that blends nostalgic lyricism with a modern, forward-thinking sound. It's always interesting to follow artists who bridge the gap between aesthetics."

Luca Vitali, Giornale della Musica:

THE NECKS Disquiet
Northern Spy

BANDCAMP

Yves Tassin, JazzMania:

PAULINE LEBLOND DOUBLE QUARTET + 2
L'oubli
self-released

BANDCAMP

Yves Tassin:

"Throughout the album, Pauline Leblond, thanks to subtle and balanced arrangements, avoids the trap of stylistic rehash, and offers us a beautiful moment of musical pleasure that is at once original, timeless, and beyond the conventions of a genre that is somewhat neglected today, which is a shame." (Jean-Pierre Goffin)

Jos Demol, jazzhalo.be:

MANOLO CABRAS’ FUZZY – Fuzzy
Robalo

BANDCAMP
YOUTUBE 

Jos Demol:

"A new ‘electro-acoustic’ initiative by bassist Manolo Cabras, in which he is surrounded by a number of musicians from his close circle, notably vocalist Lynn Cassiers, saxophonist Jordi Grognard, keyboardist Giovanni Di Domenico and drummer João Lobo.
The starting point is collective improvisation around unconventional parameters provided by Cabras, who also supplied the compositions. It is striking that he plays an electric bass rather than a double bass. Creativity and ambiguity are paramount." (Georges Tonla Briquet)

Kaspars Zavileiskis, jazzin.lv:

PAUL CORNISH You’re Exaggerating!
Blue Note Records

SPOTIFY

Kaspars Zavileiskis: 

"American pianist Paul Cornish has created a great original music recording, which is a brilliant debut on the legendary Blue Note. Together with bassist Joshua Crumbly and drummer Jonathan Pinson a convincing combo album has been created, in which both respect for history and a modern sound coexist. The main role here is played by Cornish’s own abilities as a composer and pianist, which allows to hope for even more peaks in the future. One of the peaks of the recently released album is the gently flowing composition Palindrome, in which a significant place is given to the sounds of the guitar. They are played by the special guest Jeff Parker. The close interplay of the trio itself can be enjoyed from the very start – in the opening DB Song. Delicious and I’m not even exaggerating!"

Christof Thurnherr, Jazz’n'More:

MARSHALL ALLEN’S GHOST HORIZON
Live in Philadelphia
Otherly Love Records/Ars Nova Workshop

BANDCAMP

Jacek Brun, www.jazz-fun.de:

CHICAGO UNDERGROUND DUO Hyperglyph
International Anthem

BANDCAMP

Jacek Brun:

"Hyperglyph is a musical journey into the unknown. The music not only surprises us, it captivates us from the very first bars. Boredom? Not a chance—every note fits into an exciting, sometimes unexpected web of melodies that emerge from energetic improvisations.

The rhythm not only serves as a foundation here, but is also a central means of creating moods. Chad Taylor not only shapes the groove, but also has a decisive influence on the melodic expression. And it is never entirely clear where rhythm becomes melody and where the sound of Rob Mazurek's trumpet or one of the other instruments comes in – a fascinating interplay of timbres and textures.

This album is surprising, captivating, and extremely exciting. It demands active listening and rewards it with an extraordinary listening experience—a work that draws the listener deep into its complex, improvisational worlds."

Bega Villalobos, In&OutJazz:

GERARD CHUMILLA Introducing
Fresh Sound New Talent

Bega Villalobos:

"Gerard Chumilla, tenor sax/Larry Grenadier, bass/Jorge Rossy, drums/ Noé Sécula, piano #8.

Gerard Chumilla is one of the most promising artists of European jazz. Introducing Gerard Chumilla is his first album as a leader, accompanied by two leading figures of the genre, already established among the world's jazz elite: Larry Grenadier and Jorge Rossy."

Mike Flynn, Jazzwise: 

EMMA RAWICZ Inkyra
ACT

Kateryna Ziabliuk, Meloport:

ЩУКАРИБА Розкіш-воля
self-released

SPOTIFY

Kateryna Ziabliuk:

"On Розкіш-воля, the familiar band ЩукаРиба brings a fresh approach to Ukrainian folk songs, keeping their natural strength while giving them a modern shape through Yaroslav Tatarchenko’s thoughtful arrangements. The music feels both familiar and new: rooted in tradition yet open to today’s sound

The album is about freedom — of voice, of expression, of carrying songs into the present. Symbolically, it was released on Ukraine's Independence Day - the 24th of August. It shows how folk music can stay alive and relevant without losing its character, offering listeners a chance to connect with heritage in a way that feels genuine and current."

Krzysztof Komorek, Donos kulturalny: 

MARCIN HAŁAT & MACIEJ GARBOWSKI
The Dialogues
Fundacja Słuchaj

donos.home.blog
BANDCAMP

Krzysztof Komorek:

"Marcin Hałat (violin) and Maciej Garbowski (bass), have known each other for a long time, having first started to explore the intricacies of jazz and improvisation together as students.  Now they created "A conversation with a friend you understand with a word",  as Maciej Garbowski aptly and beautifully described it in the album liner notes. This is an exchange of thoughts, memories, experiences, discoveries. Both musicians draw on improvisation while also embracing stylistic inspirations from their artistic journeys—folk, classical, contemporary, and chamber music. And repeated listening reveals new layers and details contained in ‘Dialogues’. The tracks on The Dialogues really do resemble conversations between friends. They are remarkably natural, emotionally diverse, but never go beyond the boundaries of dialogue, avoiding musical clashes or competition. These conversations can be slightly languid, melancholic, sublime, but also full of passion and energy. This is sophisticated music, yet played with effortless ease. Simply outstanding."