"The vibe from the off is distinctly sixties, which lets face it in jazz is no bad thing"

“Sunrise” gives spiritual jazz a rustic Japanese folkloric infusion whilst whispering a call for peace and love. Yes please.

"This could be ambient jazz's year, and if I finally do that jazzbient mix this tune will be on it."

"Farhi wisely sits back, infusing Pandey's finger picked minimalism with some sparse, borderless bass work"

"Jahn Neu's been releasing some great, forward looking, sofa suitable jazz for the last five years"

"ambient minded material where his succinct playing and stretched notes glide across low gravity electroacoustic soundscapes"

"he’s redefining what nu-jazz can be with walls of machine noise repurposed to free jazz ends"

"for a punk bass playing classical cellist it's quite the jazz statement."

"the outfit instead wind their way through buttery soul, vintage library music, smooth orchestral jazz and general twentieth century musical lushness. One for the nostalgics and easy listening massive"

Jowee Omicil has been around. sMilLes is the eleventh album no less from this nomadic Canadian-Haitian composer and multi-instrumentalist who can turn his hand to saxophone, clarinet, flute, pocket trumpet, Rhodes, piano, voice and more. The album is an eclectic jazz ride with some choice guests and throws in some tropical vibes as well to keep you on your toes and maybe even get you moving, but the real standout track is "Should I Smile", mainly due to the always impeccable

"If that wasn't enough whispered, Sun Ra reminiscent, voices drift in at the end like ghosts from the world's battlefields to add spectral weight to the message."

"leftfield leaning, 80s vibing, soundtrack nodding jazz fusion "

"This time round the arrangements largely eschew the barely conscious drones and ambient jazz of their debut to take more familiar, gravity beholden forms"

"the trio pause to reconsider their path, toying with ideas before deciding that a full on jazz dance assault is the way"

"the keys alternating between exploring the universal consciousness and warming up the jazz dancers as the crew stretch out and have some fun"

"The track then launches into a full on spiritual nu-jazz wall of sound that courses through the speakers and your consciousness"

"a boundary nudging ambient jazz transmission that refreshingly doesn't sound like too much else around"

"And so the song continues for six, all too short minutes, a heart wrenching window into Ellis' childhood and his gospel and jazz roots."

"the most spiritual jazz sound bath since Alice Coltrane’s ashram years. It’s a deep, meaningful listen, pull up a chair."

"It's as good a slice of oh so nice nu-soul as you'll hear this year. Now for that album."

" the crew have attained quite the spiritual/psychedelic (delete as applicable or choose both) soulful jazz-funk state."

"the horns in sweet unity repeating a pleasingly restrained refrain that synergises with the repeated minimal guitar motif that acts as the tracks ever present driving force"

"It's a warm slice of cosmic Afrobeat which should be all over global and open minded dance floors this summer and well beyond."

"the former spending half that time in an ambient trance before communing with the ancestors via an easy Afrocentric groove"