Josephine Davies & The Ensō Ensemble: The Celtic Wheel of the Year Suite
28th February 2025
British saxophonist, composer and bandleader Josephine Davies marks a striking new chapter in her career with the release of The Celtic Wheel of the Year Suite (28th Feb 2025, Ubuntu) alongside her 17-piece group The Ensō Ensemble.
With roots in the Scottish archipelago of Shetland, the 8-part suite takes the listener on a year-long journey of ancient Celtic and seasonal festivals. From the darkness of winter to the renewal of spring, the harvest season, the Autumn Equinox, and the Winter Solstice, it weaves together classical, jazz, and folk influences into a cohesive, Nordic-tinged whole.j
Fittingly, it all started with the sunrise. The piece Eos - named after the Goddess of the Dawn - was composed during a period of early mornings while she served as composer-in-residence for the London Jazz Orchestra. Fast forward a decade, and several high-profile commissions, she felt compelled to complete the circle.
“Having written several jazz orchestra pieces, and inspired by a lockdown move to the countryside, I felt drawn to deepen my connection with the earth and revisit my earlier composition. The result is the 8-part suite, each movement inspired by a particular time of year and what it holds for me emotionally and spiritually.”
Perhaps best known for her award-winning trio Satori, the depth of talent and inventiveness in the ensemble is testament to Davies’ long-standing position at the heart of the UK’s contemporary music scene. London jazz stalwarts Dave Whitford (bass), Noel Langley (trumpet) and Alcyona Mick (piano) sit alongside distinctive newer voices such as saxophonists Michael Chillingworth, Rachael Cohen and Tamar Osborn - each carefully chosen for their musicality, creativity, and unique soloistic voices.
Through this fascinating large ensemble and the rich history of Celtic mythology, the recording sees Davies stretch her compositional wings, blending the improvisation and spontaneity inherent in jazz with a highly distinctive compositional voice as a writer. As we embark on yet another cycle around the sun, it serves as both a milestone in her career and a calling card for future projects.
Josephine Davies composer, conductor, tenor saxophone | Michael Chillingworth alto & soprano saxophone | Rachael Cohen alto saxophone | Helena Kay tenor saxophone | Adam Bishop tenor saxophone, clarinet, alto flute | Tamar Osborn baritone saxophone, bass clarinet | Noel Langley trumpet, flugelhorn | Reuben Fowler trumpet, flugelhorn | Nick Smart trumpet, flugelhorn | Robbie Robson trumpet, flugelhorn | Anna Drysdale french horn | Olli Martin trombone | Maddie Dowdeswell trombone | Eddie Curtis bass trombone | Alcyona Mick piano | Dave Whitford double bass | Shaney Forbes drums
Artemis Announce New Studio Album Via Blue Note: Multi-award-winning collective features pianist Renee Rosnes, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, saxophonist Nicole Glover, bassist Noriko Ueda and drummer Alison Miller
“New York group deliver rhythmic bite and sharply defined emotional contrasts.”
Financial Times
Fresh off their 2nd consecutive win for “Jazz Group of the Year” in the DownBeat Readers Poll, ARTEMIS returns with their third Blue Note album ARBORESQUE out Feb. 28 featuring a new quintet line-up of the band helmed by pianist and musical director Renee Rosnes with trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover, bassist Noriko Ueda, and drummer Allison Miller. A paean to the sheer joy of collaboration and creativity, the album also explores a theme of natural and environmental beauty.
ARBORESQUE is a vibrant 8-song set that presents original compositions by each of the band members as well as Rosnes arrangements of pieces by Wayne Shorter (‘Footprints’), Burt Bacharach (‘What the World Needs Now Is Love’), and the unsung pianist Donald Brown whose inquisitive, noirish piece ‘The Smile of the Snake’ opens the album and is available to stream or download now. “The title refers to people whom you love and trust, but who end up disappointing you,” says Rosnes, who has been a fan and friend of Brown’s for decades.
The genesis of ARTEMIS can be traced back to 2016 when Rosnesfirst assembled an all-star ensemble to celebrate International Women’s Day with liveperformances in Europe. Nine years later, as the band releases its third album,the collective continues to demonstrate its staying power and prove how the musictranscends any notion of patriarchy. But ARTEMIS’ purpose has also expanded, reaching beyondspecial projects, cultural initiatives, or the supergroup concept.
“Our goal is to make honest music that touches people,” says Rosnes. “We inspire one another and feel passionate about playing together. All that positive energy comes through in the music and I believe the audiences feel it.”
ARTEMIS exists as a deeply committed core unit who’ve played together more than any other incarnation of the group. “As a quintet, there’s a greater feeling of elasticity. We’ve become looser and tighter at the same time,” Rosnes says. Jensen is “a stunningly original voice on trumpet and can pollinate a chord with the perfect note.” As Jensen’s ideal foil on the frontline, Glover is “a bold storyteller and plays with a innate sense of purpose and freedom.” Ueda is “a virtuoso of the bass whose lines are centered and buoyant.” Miller is “the band’s center of gravity as well as being a gifted orchestrator behind the drumkit.” Together with Rosnes and Ueda, the rhythm section puts power and finesse in perfect equilibrium.
The track follows Rooted feat. Paix & Emilie Boyd which saw support from Jamz Supernova, Gilles Peterson, Nemone, Deb Grant & Tom Ravenscroft, Craig Charles, Huey Morgan, Don Letts (BBC 6Music), Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), Emma-Jean Thackray (BBC Radio 3), The Quay Sessions (BBC Radio Scotland), Tony Minvielle and China Moses (Jazz FM), FIP Radio France, The Skinny, Wordplay and beyond.
Written as a love letter to one of Rebecca’s favourite records, Blessed feat. Nadya Albertsson takes inspiration from the Garrick’s Fairground track “Blessed Are The Peacemakers”, by Michael Garrick and Norma Winstone. “I am so incredibly grateful to have heard this track, it has absolutely changed my life”, Rebecca explains. “I wanted to make my own version as a way to show my gratitude and love for such a beautiful piece of music”. Through the making of the track, Rebecca became pen pals with Michael Garrick’s son Gabriel, after asking for his blessing to use a sample of his dad’s piano from the original record. This has started some beautiful and deep conversations about jazz, connection, collaboration and more.
Expanding the boundaries of traditional jazz production, Vasmant leads a 25-strong ensemble of musicians (with a 60/40 female/male split) on a sonic journey exploring themes of identity, equality, femininity, and self-growth. As she puts it, “This album is about becoming your true self and accepting that we’re part of something bigger.” Vasmant’s unique DIY ethos shines throughout Who We Are Becoming, with all vocals and instruments - apart from drums - recorded in her Glasgow flat using a single Rode microphone gifted by Soma Records’ Jim Matune. Rebecca’s process reflects her self-taught, self-funded, and self-made ethos**: “I’ve always believed you don’t need fancy studios to create amazing music. My setup is basic but meaningful; I’ve built it over time and made it work.”**
The LP is a standout contemporary jazz record, representing an exciting new chapter in Rebecca’s artistic journey. Staying true to her roots, it boasts powerful collaborations with some of Scotland’s finest musical talents, with the single featuring interdisciplinary artist Paix and vocalist Emilie Boyd, alongside Amanda Whiting (harp), Joe Rattray (bass), Graham Costello (drums), and Cameron Thomson-Duncan (trumpet). Rebecca’s impact on Glasgow’s jazz scene is undeniable. Her debut, ‘With Love From Glasgow’, was hailed by Jazzwise, Clash, and The Vinyl Factory, drawing comparisons to Pharoah Sanders and garnering support from tastemakers Gilles Peterson, Jamz Supernova, and Bandcamp’s Andrew Jervis. Follow up EP “Dance Yourself Free” received significant support from BBC 6Music and saw Rebecca celebrate the Record Store Day release with DJ sets at Monorail (Glasgow), Phonica and Rough Trade (London). She has performed live as part of BBC 6Music Festival and has presented ‘Round Midnight on BBC Radio 3. Her label, Rebecca’s Records, has spotlighted Scottish artists such as ARI TSUGI and Azamiah.
Born in Paris and raised in the Scottish countryside, Rebecca moved to Glasgow at 22, earning a Ministry of Sound residency before rejecting commercial pressures to champion her jazz-inspired sound. She has become Scotland’s unofficial ambassador for contemporary jazz, with a journey of resilience, vision, and authenticity, peppered with radio shows for Worldwide FM and Rinse FM. She has performed DJ sets and live ensemble performances alike at acclaimed festivals and venues including Glastonbury, We Out Here, Brick Lane Jazz Festival, Jazz Café, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz club, supporting the likes of Questlove, Thundercat, BADBADNOTGOOD and Gilles Peterson.
March 7th - Jazz Cafe, London Madame Jazz (Rebecca Vasmant Ensemble) // March 15th - Small Town Club, Dundee (DJ) March 22nd - Shapes Festival, Switzerland (DJ) //April 16th - Brick Lane Jazz Festival, London (Rebecca Vasmant Ensemble)
Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini Unveil Their Vibrant Ode GUINGA, Featuring the Titular Brazilian Artist and Composer – out April 12, 2024 via GroundUP
Listen to the first single, “Lavagem de Conceição”, featuring Guinga, here.
Traveling through the lush paradise of Brazilian music, there are few more scenic byways than música popular brasileira – the enduring alchemy of fusing genres like samba and baião within the larger frameworks of Jazz, rock, classical and popular music. Even without a map, exploring this unique terrain with its rich harmonic complexity, elaborate lyrics, and remarkable emotive metaphors, leads musicians towards an inescapable reality: all roads lead to Guinga – the master guitarist, composer arranger and Brazilian music legend.
Born as Carlos Althier de Souza Lemos Escobar, Guinga grew up in Rio de Janeiro absorbing Brazilian contemporary and folkloric music as well as classical, rock, pop and Jazz. Having shaped a creative identity that embraces the signature energy of Brazil’s diverse artistic enterprise, Guinga’s legacy lives within the spirit of crafting a voice that’s essentially Brazilian while cultivating a vivacious universal appeal. A spirit lovingly captured by trombonist Natalie Cressman and guitarist Ian Faquini within their new GroundUP album GUINGA, releasing on April 12, 2024.
Trombone/classical guitar duos are very rare in Jazz. While few dare to exist beyond the occasional recording or live performance, Cressman and Faquini have transformed their platform into a sophisticated medium showcasing the extraordinary influence Brazilian contemporary artistry has had on music throughout the world. Tagged as the “Bossa Nova girl” while studying at the Manhattan School of Music, Cressman has always been inspired by Brazilian culture, frequently attending the California Brazil Camp in the mountainous enclave of Cazadero, California where she met Faquini, a Guinga protégé teaching at this annual summer gathering.
In time they discovered the dynamic nature of their instrumental pairing as well as the unique aperture it lends to the intricate nature of Brazilian music. Having mastered a resonant, open, and full bodied sound, Cressman and Faquini utilize a spacious tonal vocabulary, deft harmonic pairings and meticulous arranging that perfectly lends itself to the unique repertoire they’ve cultivated over the years. Steadied by the Brazilian aural tradition of learning, each has honed the necessary skills that accentuate the rich lyrical nature of música popular brasileira with its exquisite storytelling and incisive musical lens. Their two previous albums, Setting Rays of Summer (2019) and Auburn Whisper (2022) received well-deserved acclaim and attention.
Organic, improvisational and often initiated by humming out melodies, Guinga’s compositional style has played a significant role in shaping Cressman and Faquini’s artistic chemistry. Having spent years watching the master at work, both are fluent in the processes that powers Guinga’s magic, as his fluid incorporation of musical influences blends seamlessly with the florid temperament of their own creative ambitions. After recording albums exploring their personal relationship to contemporary Brazilian music, it was only a matter of time before Cressman and Faquini decided to focus on Guinga, a musician who’s been a mentor, teacher, collaborator and friend throughout the course of their careers.
Unlike most tribute albums celebrating artists long past, Guinga’s contributions are central to the process of the recording. Composing, arranging, and collaborating as a lyricist, Guinga’s ingenuity is matched only by his evocative and often haunting vocals. Compact, discreet, remarkably positioned with no less than fourteen songs, the album flows effortlessly like a personal juke box supplied by an endless roll of Brazilian centavos, all while unfolding into a delicate mosaic of Guinga’s musical world view.
Always fond of compelling song titles, the album begins with “Contradição (Contradiction)”, Faquini and Guinga’s first collaborative compositional effort. Overdubbing her trombone, Cressman constructs guiding harmonies while Guinga’s voice sways with the “valsa blues” structure of the song. With its paradoxical title and timeless melody, “Bolero de Satã (Satan’s Bolero)” was a hit for Guinga during the 1970’s. Romantic, ornate, serenaded by Cressman’s gorgeous solo and Faquini’s pristine harmonics, Bolero de Satã evolves into a superb example of the unique prism this duo applies to Guinga’s artistry.
Celebrating the life and work of Conceição Damasceno, the founder of the BrasArte Brazilian arts center in Berkley, California, first single “Lavagem de Conceição” combines the baião rhythm from northern Brazil with the ceremonial spirit of lavagem or “washing” (a common ritual of the Candomblé religion originally established by enslaved West Africans) supported by background vocals from Guinga’s partner Anna Paes and Natalie’s mother Sandy Cressman. Exemplifying Guinga’s love for angular melodies is “Aria de Opereta” (Operetta Aria), a somber tune lightly adorned by the subtle shades of a classical arrangement.
With no wasted notes, the short and sweet “Delírio Carioca” (Carioca Delirium) delicately soothes via Guinga’s “feverish” appeal to all matters of the heart, while “Ramo de Delírios” (Bouquet of Delirium) similarly explores “obsession and passion” representing one of Cressman and Faquini’s favorite tunes from Guinga’s first recorded album. Pirouetting with intricate sixteenth notes, Guinga again adapts the rhythmic elasticity of baião with “Por Trás de Brás de Pina” (Behind Brás de Pina), his vivacious ode to a northern neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. Heavily influenced by Duke Ellington, Guinga takes the helm playing with Cressman on “Par Constante” (Constant Pair). Borrowing heavily from Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood”, Guinga’s love for this era of Jazz is clear as Cressman captures the moment beautifully with her technical dexterity and nostalgic tone.
Circling back to Rio, “Garoa e Maresia” (Mist and Sea Air) speaks to Guinga’s ache for the gentle waves of the city’s glorious beaches but the album’s tour de force of longing resides in “Segredo de Dadá” (Dadá’s Secret). Written during the height of COVID, Faquini’s ballad to Brazil, and of missing his grandmother, was lyrically adapted by Guinga to include his own desire to see the Bay Area again. On Guinga’s medley “Nítido e Obscuro / Geraldo No Leme” (Clear and Opaque / Geraldo in Leme), Cressman and Faquini make easy work of syncopated duple meters proving again their mastery of baião based rhythms.
“Ellingtoniana” unfolds as Guinga’s intriguing exploration of the symbiotic relationship between Ellington’s contribution to the great American songbook, and the prolific beauty of the melodic paradigms within Brazilian contemporary music. With its subtle modulations on trombone and delicate counterpoint on guitar, “Viola Variada” (Varied “Guitar”) references the agile ways Cressman and Faquini choose to dance within this music as their phrasing allows each to lead before the song quietly comes to a close. Celebrating the end of this glorious achievement, Guinga concludes with “Vô Alfredo” (Grandpa Alfredo), a composition built upon the Pernambuco frevo rhythm from northeastern Brazil. Combining the energies of Carnaval with the diction of classical music, Guinga’s tribute to his grandfather becomes our final glimpse into the elegance of his compositional style, exemplified brilliantly by Cressman and Faquini’s elite command for their instruments.
Simplicity can feel like a rare commodity in our increasingly complex world. Knowing this, Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini recognize that the simplicity of their instrumentation provides an introspective way to celebrate the legacy of música popular brasileira and the remarkable manner in which Guinga extends the vocabularies of its exceptional harmonic and melodic systems. Managing the perfect balance of space, pacing and musicianship, Cressman and Faquini have mastered the mechanics of unpacking the deep musical authority that defines the DNA of Brazilian music and the core of Guinga’s genius.
Understood as an artistic requirement, Cressman and Faquini clearly recognize the nature of their quiet stage. “It’s a very noisy world we live in,” they shared, adding “the softer subtleties of the style of our music is like a balm. It’s healing and cathartic to play and to experience it as a listener.” Within this slender margin comes a delicate responsibility for framing the kind of artistic excellence Guinga epitomizes. Guinga does this and so much more. Exploring this legend’s proprietary language of life, love and the vivid emotional mindset that transcribes them to music, Cressman and Faquini have crafted a sophisticated space to experience the buoyant resonance throughout the fluorescent landscape of Guinga’s storied career.
Songs With My Father, is the new album by the remarkably gifted jazz singer Emily Masser. While still a student at The Guildhall School Of Music And Drama, 20-year-old Masser’s burgeoning talent has already attracted very positive attention from jazz luminaries such as Claire Martin and Liane Carroll, who have both praised Emily for her original approach to interpretation, making timeless classics sound newly minted and excitingly different. Her notable contribution to the respected Clark Tracey Quintet’s album ‘Introducing Emily Masser’ further highlighted Emily’s musical prowess, gaining a wide range of accolades and prompting UK Jazz News to describe her as a “New Star of British Jazz”. Emily’s new work Songs With My Father is an album dedicated to Emily’s late mother, featuring her father Dean Masser on saxophone and an all-star rhythm section: in-demand Hungarian pianist Matyas Gayer (Eddie Henderson, Scott Hamilton), rising-star bassist James Owston (Xhosa Cole, Greg Abate), and ultra-swinging drummer Steve Brown (Scott Hamilton, Barry Harris).
Songs With My Father features a mix of modern twists on jazz standards and also highlights Emily’s vocal approach to bebop. The songs and arrangements explore a range of moods: from the DNA-fuelled soli sections to the more reflective side in ‘Song For My Mother’ and ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’, which Emily first sang at her mother’s funeral. Meanwhile, tracks like ‘Dat Dere’ tap into the fun, silly side of the father-daughter relationship, with a vocalese reflecting how Emily and Dean’s bond has changed over the years. Speaking about the album, Emily says*: “Songs With My Father is an album I made in memory of my Mum, Gill, who passed away just before I moved to London to study at The Guildhall. Many of these songs were her favourites, and recording them with my Dad has been such a special experience, bringing me closer to both of them. Working with him on this album was incredible, and I’m so grateful to have played with such an amazing band….I’m beyond excited to share this album, and I hope if my mum is listening, she’s smiling wherever she is.”*
The eminent critic and broadcaster Alyn Shipton adds: “Emily Masser was my pick for a “Taking Off” feature in Jazzwise magazine in early 2024. This album shows exactly why - displaying the range of her very individual talent from the heart-rendingly beautiful “I’ll Be Seeing You” to the mischievous evocation of childhood in “Dat Dere”, not to mention the sheer fun of “Old Devil Moon”. The father- daughter empathy is evident throughout, particularly on “Song For My Mother”, but there’s also splendid support, from the romping to the sensitive, by the rhythm team of Gayer, Owston and Brown.” The album is a fitting tribute and an endearing nod to the relationship between two excellent cross-generational musicians accompanied by a rhythm section displaying pure synergy.
Self-Released
Recorded at Steinway Recordings by Spencer Cozens
Mixed and Mastered at Quiet Money Recordings by James McMillan
Personnel: Emily Masser (vocals), Dean Masser (saxophone), Matyas Gayer (piano), James Owston (bass) and Steve Brown (Drums)
Classically trained pianist, vocalist, singer/songwriter, composer, arranger and producer Macha Gharibian first discovered her own musical universe through immersing herself in the New York jazz scene. With Armenian ancestry, a Parisian heart, and a New Yorker by adoption, her new record spotlights her voice as an ode to life and testament to feminine power.
Borrowing its name from a poem by the great Maya Angelou, Gharibian’s fourth album ‘Phenomenal Women’ is set to release on January 24th on Rue Bleue Meredith Records.
Captivated by a video of Angelou reciting her poem in London in 1987, Gharibian found herself urged to pay musical tribute to the poet, and to the strength of all women. “In all the battles we are fighting right now—against sexism, the violence women endure, and for equality—I want to tell them, “We are brilliant, we are the wealth, the intelligence, and the power, we are phenomenal.””
Influenced by the school of ‘natural vocalists’ in Nina Simone, Jeanne Lee and Joni Mitchell, Gharibian’s luminescent energy leads her listener through the record’s delicately varied tonal palette of celebration, prayer, joy, and melancholy across the album’s ten original compositions and three imaginative covers.
Drawing from the music of her childhood*—especially her father's voice (Dan Gharibian, co-founder of the group Bratsch), which she heard singing in Armenian, Russian, Greek, and Romani—*Gharibian blends her personal cultural heritage with contemporary styles, singing in five languages on Phenomenal Women, embracing the inflections of English, Armenian, French, Portuguese and Arabic with undeniable ease.
Accompanied by her long-term collaborator Belgian drummer Dré Pallemaerts and bassist Kenny Ruby, Gharibian breaks away from the trio format she’s known for and shares her vocal duties for the first time with singers Lea Maria Fries, Linda Oláh and Isabel Sörling. Soaring gospel-tinged improvisations and three-part vocal harmony, ethereal synth timbres, propulsive piano-led grooves, and crystal clear modern production provide the musical backdrop for a body of work that offers hope and unity in a divided world.
Macha Gharibian | Lead Vocals, Piano, Fender Rhodes Lea Maria Fries | Vocals Linda Oláh | Vocals Dré Pallemaerts | Drums Sylvain ‘Kenny’ Ruby | Electric Bass, Keyboards Isabel Sörling | Vocals (Track 3)
All music and lyrics by Macha Gharibian, except ‘Nare Nare’, ‘Nobreza’, and ‘Ya Dirati’
'Thank you to those who appreciate this music and come to the concerts, your presence and your support are immensely precious to me. To all the women who inspire me to find my own path and to all the women in the world who fight for peace, freedom and equality. My immense gratitude to Maya Angelou.'
Recorded at Midilive Studio, Villetaneuse, France, from March 4 to 8, 2024 and at Seventeen Studio, Paris, on May 8, 2024
Produced by Macha Gharibian
Artistic Direction in the Studio Daniel Yvinec
Sound Recording and Mixing by Olivier Lude
Sound Assistant Timothée Gumy
Editing by Timothée Gumy and Macha Gharibian
Mastered by Frederik Dejongh at Jerboa Mastering
Cover & Photography by Laurent Seroussi
Graphic Design by Guillaume Saix
Piano Steinway D fixed by Bastien Herbin, Pianos Quintessence
Executive Production by Meredith Prod
With the support of the Fondation BNP Paribas, Adami, CNM, SPPF
