With Debut Album "Now’s The Time" Jon Onabowu Steps Into the Spotlight

London's contemporary jazz scene has produced no shortage of exciting new voices in recent years, but few have generated the kind of momentum currently surrounding Nigerian-British drummer and bandleader Jon Onabowu. With the release of his debut album Now's The Time, Onabowu makes a powerful statement of intent, delivering a collection that captures the energy, groove and musical freedom that have made him one of the capital's most talked-about emerging jazz figures.

For those familiar with London's thriving live jazz circuit, Onabowu is hardly a newcomer. As the driving force behind the Cosmic Fusion residency at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, he has spent recent years building a reputation for high-energy performances that blend contemporary jazz with elements of funk, gospel, hip-hop and fusion. The residency has become a showcase for a new generation of musicians eager to push jazz into fresh territory while keeping groove firmly at the centre of the experience.

That philosophy runs throughout Now's The Time. Rather than delivering a traditional straight-ahead jazz record, Onabowu opts for something more expansive. The album draws together a wide range of influences while maintaining a strong rhythmic identity, creating music that feels equally at home in a jazz club, a festival setting or through headphones on a late-night journey home.

Several tracks have already begun attracting attention ahead of and following the album's release. Highlights include "The Bounce" featuring David Mrakpor, the atmospheric "When The Light Finds Us" featuring Anatole Muster and Brandon Rose, and the evocative "The Emergence." Collectively, they showcase Onabowu's ability not only as a drummer but as a composer capable of balancing technical sophistication with genuine emotional impact.

What makes Now's The Time particularly compelling is the sense that it documents an artist arriving at exactly the right moment. Having performed alongside respected names including Theo Croker, Venna and the Balimaya Project, Onabowu has spent years absorbing influences and refining his musical voice. This debut feels like the culmination of that journey while simultaneously hinting at even bigger things to come.

At a time when UK jazz continues to enjoy a creative renaissance, Now's The Time arrives as another reminder that the scene remains rich with innovation. For listeners seeking groove-heavy contemporary jazz that values both musicianship and accessibility, Jon Onabowu's debut is an album well worth exploring. If this record is any indication, the drummer's rise is only just beginning.

Gershwin Reimagined: Ingrid Jensen Brings Fiery Jazz Brilliance to “Porgy and Bess”

Few works in American music have inspired as many bold reinventions as Porgy and Bess. Since its 1935 debut, George Gershwin’s landmark “folk opera” has lived simultaneously in the worlds of classical music, blues, gospel and jazz, producing timeless standards like “Summertime” and “I Loves You, Porgy.”

Now, acclaimed Canadian trumpeter Ingrid Jensen is adding her own electrifying voice to that legacy — and jazz audiences are paying attention.

“Ingrid Jensen” — Photo by Geert Vandepoele, via Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Jensen has long been regarded as one of the most adventurous trumpet players in modern jazz. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, she rose to prominence in the 1990s through collaborations with the Vienna Art Orchestra, the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, and later with visionary bandleaders including Maria Schneider and Darcy James Argue. Critics have praised her muscular tone, fearless improvisation and ability to move effortlessly between lyrical elegance and explosive avant-garde energy.

That makes her a natural fit for the emotionally charged world of Porgy and Bess.

Over the decades, Gershwin’s masterpiece has become a rite of passage for jazz musicians. Legendary interpretations by Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald transformed the score into fertile territory for improvisation, proving that the music could thrive far beyond the opera stage.

Jensen’s approach feels both respectful of that tradition and thrillingly contemporary. Whether soaring through the aching melancholy of “Summertime” or attacking ensemble passages with blazing post-bop intensity, she brings a modern edge that keeps Gershwin’s material feeling alive rather than museum-bound. Her phrasing balances precision with spontaneity — the kind of playing that can turn a familiar melody into something startlingly new.

And that’s exactly what jazz audiences crave from Porgy and Bess: reinvention.

The original opera itself remains one of the most discussed and debated works in American music history. Set in a South Carolina fishing community known as Catfish Row, the story follows the fragile relationship between Porgy and Bess amid poverty, addiction and violence. While celebrated for its fusion of jazz, blues and classical composition, the work has also faced decades of scrutiny over racial representation and cultural authenticity.

Yet musically, its influence is undeniable.

For artists like Jensen, the score offers an emotional and harmonic playground — rich with dramatic tension, sweeping melodies and rhythmic flexibility. Her style, shaped by everything from straight-ahead swing to contemporary large ensemble jazz, seems uniquely equipped to unlock the opera’s darker corners and ecstatic highs.

“Ingrid Jensen Quartet Herr Nilsen Oslo Jazzfestival” — Via Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recent performances and collaborations continue to reinforce Jensen’s standing as one of jazz’s most dynamic modern voices. Whether leading her own ensembles or appearing with major orchestras and festivals around the world, she has built a reputation for performances that combine virtuosity with deep emotional connection.

In other words: if Porgy and Bess is about emotional intensity, Ingrid Jensen speaks its language fluently.

For jazz fans, this meeting of Gershwin’s immortal music and Jensen’s fearless trumpet artistry is more than another tribute project. It’s a reminder that great music survives because each generation reshapes it — bends it, stretches it and pushes it into the future.

And in Jensen’s hands, Porgy and Bess still burns.

On "The House Beyond the Fires" The Virginmarys Find Beauty in Restraint

There’s always been a raw, combustible energy at the heart of The Virginmarys. From the bruising riffs of King of Conflictto the jagged urgency that made them one of Britain’s most underrated modern rock exports, the Macclesfield duo have built a reputation on volume, intensity and emotional abrasion. But on The House Beyond the Fires, the band reveal something equally powerful: vulnerability.

Released in November 2024, the album marks the latest chapter for vocalist/guitarist Ally Dickaty and drummer Danny Dolan, who have continued evolving the project since transitioning from a trio into a leaner two-piece setup.

What makes The House Beyond the Fires so compelling is its balance. The record still burns with the grit and defiance longtime fans expect, but there’s a newfound spaciousness running through these songs — moments where silence, atmosphere and melody are allowed to breathe. Instead of overwhelming the listener with sheer force, The Virginmarys often pull back just enough to let the emotional weight hit harder.

The stripped-back passages throughout the album feel deliberate rather than accidental. Dickaty’s vocals sound weathered and human, carrying the kind of lived-in honesty that can’t be manufactured in a studio. Meanwhile, Dolan’s drumming avoids excess, serving the songs with restraint and precision rather than bombast. It’s a mature approach that gives the album a cinematic quality, as though the band are soundtracking the aftermath of the fire rather than the blaze itself.

Critics and fans alike have long associated The Virginmarys with explosive live performances and garage-rock ferocity. Earlier coverage from outlets including CBS highlighted the band’s “urgency” and relentless energy on stage. What’s fascinating here is how that same urgency survives even in the quieter moments. The tension never disappears — it just simmers beneath the surface.

There’s also a sense that the duo are entirely comfortable operating outside trends. In an era where many rock bands chase polish or algorithm-friendly hooks, The House Beyond the Fires feels defiantly human. Rough edges remain intact. Emotions aren’t cleaned up for mass consumption. That authenticity becomes the album’s greatest strength.

For a band now nearly two decades into their journey, this record doesn’t sound like a group slowing down — it sounds like artists refining their identity. The Virginmarys haven’t abandoned the fire that built their reputation; they’ve simply learned how to control it.

And in doing so, they may have delivered their most affecting work yet.

Emmet Cohen Reaches for Something Bigger on Universal Truth

There’s a particular electricity surrounding Emmet Cohen right now — the kind that only appears when a jazz artist stops simply revisiting tradition and starts expanding it. On his forthcoming album Universal Truth, Cohen doesn’t just salute the giants of the past; he steps directly into conversation with them.

Set for release on May 29 through Mack Avenue Records, Universal Truth arrives during the centennial year celebrations of both Miles Davis and John Coltrane, and the influence of those towering figures runs deep through the project. But this is no museum-piece tribute album. Cohen’s approach feels alive, urgent and modern — rooted in hard-swinging classicism while still reaching toward something spiritual and exploratory.

Photo by Jimmy Baikovicius / Wikimedia Commons. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Anyone familiar with Cohen’s wildly successful Live From Emmet’s Place sessions already knows his greatest strength: connection. Whether he’s channeling bebop fire or easing into a ballad, his playing carries warmth and spontaneity that make even the most technically dazzling moments feel human. That same spirit appears to drive Universal Truth.

The album mixes revered jazz standards like “Well You Needn’t,” “My Funny Valentine,” and “Blue Train” with original material, including the ambitious three-part “Universal Truth Suite.” Early previews suggest the suite could become one of Cohen’s defining compositional statements — expansive, emotional and deeply personal without losing the rhythmic snap that has made him one of contemporary jazz’s most exciting pianists.

And the personnel? Absolutely stacked.

Cohen is joined by drummer Joe Farnsworth, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and saxophonist Tivon Pennicott, while jazz royalty Ron Carter and George Coleman also make guest appearances. That lineup alone tells you this record is operating on a serious level.

What makes the project especially compelling is its balance between reverence and forward momentum. Cohen clearly understands the architecture of classic jazz, but he refuses to freeze it in time. There’s a cinematic quality to the way the album has been described — less like a history lesson and more like a continuation of an unfinished conversation started decades ago by Davis and Coltrane themselves.

Kyle Poole on drums with Emmet Cohen Trio at Victoria Teater, Oslo, 12 August 2024. Photo by Tore Sætre / Wikimedia Commons. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Cohen’s rise over the past few years has felt both organic and unstoppable. Named DownBeat’s 2025 Pianist of the Year, he has steadily built a reputation as one of jazz’s most compelling bridge-builders — equally capable of thrilling longtime purists and drawing younger audiences into the genre.

If the early buzz is anything to go by, Universal Truth may be the album that fully cements that status.

At a moment when jazz is increasingly fractured into scenes, styles and algorithms, Cohen seems focused on something refreshingly ambitious: bringing the emotional core of the music back into focus. And judging from the scope, musicianship and sheer conviction behind this record, he may have done exactly that.

A Reimagining Of Rush: On The Tribute David Sanderson

Progressive rock and solo piano might not seem like obvious musical companions at first glance, but pianist David Sanderson is proving otherwise with a bold and deeply atmospheric tribute to legendary Canadian prog-rock icons Rush. His newly released solo piano interpretations breathe fresh life into the band’s famously intricate catalogue, transforming towering rock epics into elegant, emotionally resonant piano works without losing the ambition and spirit that made Rush such a beloved force in rock history.

For decades, Rush built a reputation on technical precision, conceptual songwriting, and fearless experimentation. The trio — featuring bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and late drummer Neil Peart — became one of progressive rock’s defining acts after forming in Toronto in 1968. Sanderson’s tribute taps directly into that legacy, stripping away walls of amplifiers and synthesizers in favour of a single piano while somehow preserving the grandeur fans expect from classics like “Tom Sawyer,” “Xanadu,” and “Closer to the Heart.”

Photo by Matt Becker / Wikimedia Commons — Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC BY 3.0).

What makes the project especially compelling is how naturally Rush’s compositions lend themselves to reinterpretation. Beneath the complex time signatures and virtuosic performances has always been strong melodic architecture — something Sanderson clearly understands. Rather than simply recreating familiar riffs note-for-note, he leans into the emotional undercurrents of the music, revealing textures and harmonies that can sometimes sit hidden beneath the original band arrangements.

Early reactions from Rush fans online have been notably enthusiastic. Listeners on Reddit have praised the arrangements for highlighting overlooked details in the band’s songwriting, with several fans commenting on how the piano versions reveal entirely new dimensions within Rush’s compositions. For a band whose music has often been associated with complexity and bombast, that kind of response speaks volumes.

And perhaps that’s the real success of Sanderson’s tribute: it doesn’t feel like novelty. It feels reverent, carefully crafted, and genuinely musical. There’s an intimacy to hearing these songs interpreted through solo piano — especially material originally driven by Neil Peart’s explosive percussion and Geddy Lee’s unmistakable bass work. Instead of trying to compete with the originals, Sanderson reframes them.

Photo by Enrico Frangi / Wikimedia Commons — Released into the public domain.

Rush’s influence continues to stretch far beyond traditional rock circles, and projects like this underline why. Their music was always more compositional than conventional, filled with movements, dynamics, and cinematic shifts that naturally invite reinterpretation. Sanderson’s piano tribute doesn’t just honour Rush — it reminds listeners how sophisticated and enduring the band’s songwriting really was.

For longtime Rush devotees, it offers a fresh perspective on familiar masterpieces. For newcomers, it may even serve as an unexpected gateway into one of rock’s most celebrated catalogues. Either way, David Sanderson has managed something rare: a tribute album that stands confidently as its own artistic statement while paying heartfelt respect to prog-rock royalty.