John Sharpe

I'm passionate about free jazz, improvised and creative music wherever it's found. I write for AAJ, The New York City Jazz Record and Point Of Departure.

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

Travelling to other worlds. I can't stay on Xitter a moment longer. I'm hanging out with the cool kids over at bsky social, same handle. Bye.

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

@Patrick876 I was just now thinking of deleting my account here. Any particular part of blue sky you would recommend?

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

My write up of another superb Jazzfest Berlin is now up: https://t.co/zD4NkGWcty Among the highlights, Darius Jones, Kris Davis, Exhaust (Nebbia/Downes/Lisle), Marilyn Crispell, Sylvie Courvoisier, Otomo Yoshihide Special Big Band. But that really only scratches the surface.

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

John Butcher's terrific 70th birthday residency @CafeOto revealed multiple sides to his musical personality, in the company of a handpicked selection of his most potent collaborators, including Sophie Agnel (pictured), Pat Thomas, Ståle Liavik Solberg, and many others.

[Cafe OTO @Cafeoto]

This Thursday, Friday & Saturday join us to celebrate the 70th birthday of one of the greats of improvised music - John Butcher - featuring a line-up comprised of collaborators old and new, alongside a solo performance.

https://t.co/2yIAGSMId1

[Listen! @listencambridge]

Coming soon to #Cambridge... Listen! presents a thrilling evening of improvised music, featuring three undisputed masters of the art!
Tickets: https://t.co/InCahENSjY

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

Excellent show last night @Cafeoto from the Artifacts Trio (Nicole Mitchell, Tomeka Reid, Mike Reed) Full of irresistible beats, attractive tunes, savvy arrangements and top notch improvising, which at times evoked the great Air, and not just because of the 2 Steve McCall charts.

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

My final concert at this year's NFOJAIM was another excellent solo piano set at the Lit and Phil, this time featuring Cuban pianist Aruan Ortiz in another rare UK appearance, followed by a short but insightful Q&A session. I'll definitely be looking out for next year's programme.

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

There was a wonderful NFOJAIM line up at the Lit & Phil on Friday night featuring the trio of Ziv Taubenfeld, Olie Brice and Kresten Osgood, a solo bass set from Andy Champion and a rare chance to see another Japanese pianist Izumi Kimura in duet with the great Gerry Hemingway

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

Attracted by the imaginative programming I spent a fantastic couple of days at the Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music. My highlight was an absolutely stunning set by Satoko Fujii at the Lit & Phil, which must be one of the best solo piano concerts I've ever witnessed

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

Olie Brice's splendid new Quartet, featuring Rachel Musson, Alexander Hawkins and Will Glaser played two great sets @cafeoto last night, previewing material for a forthcoming album, to be recorded the next day, which on this evidence will be unmissable.

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

Argentinean saxophonist Camilla Nebbia was sensational as she rode the free jazz tiger that is Decoy (Alexander Hawkins on Hammond B3, John Edwards, Steve Noble) on the second night of its residency @CafeOto yesterday. It's a combination which deserves to be more than a one-off

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

@DominicLash Great to see you too. It was a good evening.

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

An explosive set of solo guitar from Dominic Lash that veered abruptly between abrasive shredding, chiming harmonics and crabby runs capped off an evening of spectral electronic vortices and dislocated beats at Outpost Studios on Saturday.

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

Two short but intense sets from Darius Jones, ably supported on his London debut by John Edwards and Steve Noble, @CafeOto last night. Jones' tone on alto saxophone. Wow. From coruscating shrieks to gorgeous vibrato-laden balladry, he was there.

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

My account of a wonderfully uplifting edition of NYC's annual Vision Festival is up now on p13 of the August issue of TNYCJR here: https://t.co/ooYLWdzVnh

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

Lovely second night of Pat Thomas' four day residency @CafeOto on Tuesday in which over two pithy sets, fragments of Ellington melodies joyously rubbed shoulders with stride syncopation and percussive flat palm clusters.

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

I was delighted by the splendid free jazz, sometimes fiery other times floating, from Josh Sinton with Mark Sanders, Dominic Lash and NO Moore at Soundhunt @thrivecambridge this afternoon, along with a set of notable restraint from Oxford improvisers Dan Goren and Martin Hackett.

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

Excellent final night of Myra Melford's residency @CafeOto on Tuesday, started with a percussive solo piano set rich in drama, continued in a knotty trio with John Edwards and Mark Sanders, and then added trumpeter Chris Batchelor's trumpet lyricism for a mercurial last blast.

[John Sharpe @JazzSnipe]

A very pleasant Thursday evening's music @AnterosArts from the Happy Couple (Judith Goodman, David Ross) and Alati (featuring the sublime voice of Brigitte Beraha, Chris Dowding's trumpet and Dave O'Brien's piano) on evocative settings of Colin Simms' hen harrier poems