This week’s guide is by CF Smith and contributors Arifur Rahman, Words By Shoaib, Imran Mirza and Irfan Ayaan.
Welcome to our latest Between the Cracks. New releases that you really need to hear. We have everything from spiritual jazz, avant grade jazz, nu-jazz more. Dive into our latest selection, and if something tickles your eardrums, follow the buy link to make it yours! Enjoy the music, and have a great weekend!
Albums
Organic Pulse Ensemble – Bamboo Noodles
The one-man spiritual jazz phenom, Gustav Hornej, is back with another Organic Pulse Ensemble offering. Our love for OPE is no secret, and when he makes musical magic, we’re all ears. Horneij has carved a lovely little niche for himself with his OPE project. With four tracks—’Instant’, ‘Udon’, ‘The Deepest Bowl’, and ‘Picante Beef’—Bamboo Noodles feels like a culinary delight, blending Eastern influences with jazz improvisation to create a sonic feast. On ‘Instant’, the bamboo flute’s exotic, airy timbre sets a serene atmosphere, while the robust bass gives the track a dynamic energy. ‘Udon’ takes a slightly different approach, blending a playful melodic line tinged with ethno-jazz textures. ‘The Deepest Bowl’ is perhaps the most introspective track on the EP. It slows the pace and invites you to immerse yourself in its meditative depths. Lastly, ‘Picante Beef’ brings a spicy flair to the mix with its upbeat tempo and lively rhythms, where the bamboo flute dances gleefully with the other instruments. Absolutely love this one! – CFS
Soft Power – Space to Breathe
Soft Power has always danced on the edge of innovation in the jazz world, and their fourth album, Space to Breathe, sees them keep up their well-choreographed progressive performance. Released via the always-on-point Jazzaggression, this album feels like a bridge between their earlier works and the promise of what’s to come, as it features material written between their first and second albums. The album opens with ‘Zeppelin’, a track that sets the tone with its smooth, searching bass lines. Up next is ‘Turku’, a track named after the Finnish city that delivers a punchy, memorable melody layered over a compelling breakbeat groove. It’s a standout moment that showcases the band’s ability to blend traditional jazz elements with modern influences. The title track delivers on its promise, giving us a moment to pause and relax, perfectly encapsulating the essence of the album. The gentle melodies here are reminiscent of drifting clouds, a serene interlude that emphasises the album’s thematic exploration of space and freedom. The highlight (for me anyway) comes in the form of ‘Then The Neighbors Complain’ and emerges as the clear standout. The deft interplay makes it a true gem. Clocking in at just 24 minutes, the album is like a sonic espresso shot—brief but exhilarating! – CFS
ganavya – Nilam
On Nilam, ganavya offers a quiet revelation. Co-produced by Nils Frahm, the album blends South Asian classical music and spiritual jazz into seven deeply meditative tracks. Recorded at Berlin’s LEITER Studio, the project is steeped in gratitude, political consciousness, and personal stillness, music that breathes and listens as much as it speaks. ‘Nine Jeweled Prayer’ stands at the album’s centre, nearly 10 minutes of devotional stillness enriched by contributions from Ganavya’s parents. It’s transcendent, offering not just sound but sanctuary. Equally moving is ‘Sees Fire’ written after the artist was banned from social media for advocating peace. In under four minutes, it delivers fierce calm and quiet resistance. Throughout, ganavya’s voice is intimate and sacred, inviting listeners into a space of collective reflection. With harpist Charles Overton and bassist Max Ridley, she builds a world where ancient traditions and modern struggles coexist with tenderness. Nilam isn’t background music; it’s a spiritual gesture. A call inward. A balm. For those seeking beauty beyond genre, it’s among the year’s most profound offerings. – WBS
Robyn Rocket and People You May of Heard of – Robyn Rocket and People You May of Heard of
Robyn Rocket’s album ‘Robyn Rocket and People You May of Heard Of’ is a collaborative masterpiece both in terms of inclusivity and improvisation. Based in London, Robyn Rocket is a trumpet player renowned for her innovative use of guitar pedals and her unwavering commitment to her music. She has led this project, bringing together over 20 musicians from diverse backgrounds, including renowned artists like Charles Hayward (This Heat), John Edwards, Alabaster DePlume, and Danalogue (The Comet is Coming), alongside talents from the learning disability and autism arts scene such as Dean Rodney Jnr and Sebastian Golgiri. The album features free jazz, synths, spoken word, and frisky grooves. Tracks like the slow-moving ‘I Was Disconnected’ and funky ‘Mystery Man’ are both propulsive despite having different “moods”, so to speak. The standout piece, however, is the brilliant, ‘We Are All Human’. It encourages us to find ways to include people as we all benefit from it, which is the actual message of the whole album. – AR
Hara Alonso – touch•me•not
Hara Alonso is a Stockholm-based pianist, composer and sound artist from Spain. Following her acclaimed debut solo album, she went on to release multiple albums in collaboration with numerous contemporary artists. Now, she came with her latest album, ‘touch•me•not’. Somewhat contrary to what the title suggests, this album explores sensory perception, and Alonso invites her listeners to engage with sounds and vibrations that may be beyond the visual and logical. Drawing inspiration from Baudelaire’s synesthetic poem “Correspondences,” this 6-track album seeks to blur the distinction between the physical and metaphysical worlds. With percussionist Ryan Packard, double bassist Ville Bromander, and vocalist Ellen Söderhult, Alonso has created an album that challenges listeners’ linear thinking, as evident in songs like ‘Meandering’ and ‘Breaths, Pulsations, Murmurs’. – AR
Nina Feldgrill – Nina Feldgrill
Marking the debut album from Nina Feldgrill, the self-titled release through Quinton Records presents an incredibly bold and inspired project from the Vienna-based bassist and composer. Nina Feldgrill has consistently embraced the concept of collaboration – the ability to create alongside varying arrangements of musicians and to celebrate that moment through music that proves a unique experience to each artist within that space. Comprised of nine compositions, the album is ingeniously divided amidst three different ensembles that ultimately cater to the varying facets of her musical make-up: Wind’s Whispers, river and Feldgrill2. Fronted by Iranian vocalist Saba Robatjazy, Feldgrill’s bass forms a key part of the Wind’s Whispers quartet which also finds her compositions catering to a more accomplished and global perspective beautifully captured through ‘Blue’, ‘Shadows’ and ‘One Day’. While as co-founder of the river four-piece alongside saxophonist Robert Unterköfler, the ensemble embraces more improvisational and free-spirited styles within contemporary jazz, generating strong album highlights with ‘Turn Left’, ‘Nobody Wins for Long’, ‘Hope in Despair’ and ‘Dear Master’. Feldgrill2 comes with the added distinction of Nina with the opportunity to perform alongside her father, renowned Austrian bassist Werner Feldgrill, in an ensemble that further boasts the inclusion of Cuban percussionist Nelson Williams Herrera, who adds a further dynamic layer to the Feldgrill-helmed sextet. Nina Feldgrill’s debut is not merely an introduction — it is a declaration. Across its shifting ensembles and tonal palettes, the album captures an artist deeply attuned to both the collective and the personal, the structured and the free. It’s a sensational project and one that solidifies her name as a compulsory voice for jazz today. – IM
EP’s
Oli Morris – Softly Spoken
Bristol’s Oli Morris delivers pure sonic bliss with his latest EP, Softly Spoken, a five-track journey that radiates childlike wonder and infectious energy. The producer/saxophonist has carved out a distinctive niche in the UK jazz scene, building a reputation for his innovative jazztronica approach that seamlessly weaves together disparate musical threads. This collection showcases Morris’s signature blend of jazz fundamentals with dream pop shimmer, psychedelic textures, and hip-hop rhythms. His saxophone serves as both a melodic anchor and textural catalyst, supported by colourful chord progressions and meticulously crafted beats that feel both organic and electronic. The standout panthers97 demonstrates his live prowess, stripped down to just MPC Live and sax, while the title track, softly spoken, exemplifies his gift for creating intimate yet expansive soundscapes. The collaboration, featuring Slowe, adds vocal dimension to his instrumental palette. Morris has crafted a cohesive statement that captures the complexity of contemporary life through an optimistic, jazz-informed lens, essential listening for adventurous ears. – IA
