Reviews

Legado

Plena Libre

Over some 32 years and 17 albums, this 12-piece globe-trotting Puerto Rican outfit has built a formidable live reputation, delivering...

Reviewed in issue June/2026

Nineteen Seventy Seven

Grupo Um

A second lost album of jazz fusion recorded during the military dictatorship by the ever-influential Grupo Um. Expanding from a...

Reviewed in issue June/2026

Vitamina Y

Yilian Cañizares

Described by Chucho Valdés no less as “a virtuoso”, the Switzerland-based, Cuban-born singer and violinist’s album, Erzulie, received five stars...

Reviewed in issue June/2026

Where We Go

Jesse Appelman

Leaving behind a career in non-profits to pursue music full-time, with his new album, Where We Go, California native mandolinist...

Reviewed in issue June/2026

Schoonertown

The East Pointers

The curse of the music journalist is that sometimes you just can’t find the words to write about your favourite...

Reviewed in issue June/2026

Somebody Tried To Sell Me A Bridge

Van Morrison

Van Morrison is on a roll. Following on from covers albums of skiffle and rock and the new material on...

Reviewed in issue June/2026

Further From the Country

William Prince

With a deep, slightly burred voice and deadpan delivery, Canadian First Nations singer-songwriter William Prince has always grounded his art...

Reviewed in issue June/2026

The American Revolution

VARIOUS ARTISTS | Various Artists

The American Revolution, a six-part television documentary mini-series directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, recently debuted on...

Reviewed in issue June/2026

Bloodline

Mon Rovîa

The press release’s description of Mon Rovîa as an “Appalachian folk superstar” reminded me of Voltaire’s quip about the Holy...

Reviewed in issue June/2026

Bebop Havana

Belinda Guerra y Su Cuban Jazz Ensemble

On ‘Afroancestros’, the longest and loosest track on this distinguished debut, the young Cuban bandleader shines on both alto sax...

Reviewed in issue June/2026