Guardian Music — Ronnie Scott's, LondonHouston Person, the burly and bluesily expressive American tenorist, learned his craft in the early 1950s, a time when some of the earliest pioneers of jazz saxophone – Sidney Bechet, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ben Webster... more info

Guardian Music — On the eve of the London jazz festival, we profile the artists who are winning plaudits for their energy and originalityYou don't often get an American headline artist interrupting his own set to extol the talents of his British support act, but it h... more info

Guardian Music — (Naim Jazz) The departure of pianist Kit Downes and trumpeter Jay Phelps made Empirical a more chamber-jazzy outfit. It didn't soften saxophonist Nathaniel Facey's searing sound, though. Pianist George Fogel augments the quartet on their most eclecti... more info

Guardian Music — Ronnie Scott's, LondonThere was the sense of a special occasion at Ronnie Scott's for the first of pianist, bandleader and broadcaster Julian Joseph's three big-band shows at the club. The curious, the devoted, the press, and this gifted, popular and... more info

Altsounds — Empirical, winners of Best Jazz Act at the MOBO's 2010, return with their third album 'Elements Of Truth' on Naim Jazz Records. British post-bop pin-up boys Empirical made a swift ascent to the heights of the UK jazz scene in April 2007, when their ... more info

Guardian Music — Wayne Shorter headlines a much-anticipated gig, followed by the London Jazz festival in November, while the blind duo Amadou and Mariam tell their life story – in the darkWayne Shorter Quartet and PhronesisA much-anticipated gig from sax star Short... more info

Guardian Music — (Alexanderstewart.net) A hasty listen to the 23-year-old Manchester-born singer Alexander Stewart can leave you muttering "Michael Bublé", though the more generous might invoke Jamie Cullum. He's accompanied on this debut session by a razor-sharp g... more info

Guardian Music — (Proper)Now aged 28, Canadian-born trumpeter Jay Phelps moved to Britain when he was 17, so we can reasonably claim him as one of ours. Although he co-led the celebrated band Empirical for two years, this marks his solo debut. Assured, clever, fluent... more info

Guardian Music — (Specific Jazz)Phelps is the fine young Vancouver-raised trumpeter from the original lineup of prizewinning UK postbop band Empirical. Here, he mixes sparkily swinging originals with Jackie McLean, Count Basie and Tchaikovsky imports, but he's chose... more info

Guardian Music — Our music team pick the songs or albums, old or new, they just can't turn offThe Boomgates Bright Idea Yet another terrific band from the increasingly unbeatable DIY rock outpost that is Melbourne. Shambling, co-ed fuzz-pop is the Boomgates way, mini... more info