the Five Corners Quintet

If you think of jazz, Finland is not the country that springs to mind initially. That is until I discovered ‘the Five Corners Quintet’. I bought ‘Chasin’ the Jazz Gone By’ which is a later recording and then I bought ‘Hot Corner’ – both are very much the same but totally different.Initially I was going to mention one of their albums but, the two I’ve picked are so good, I couldn’t really split them!The band play with elements of modern jazz, initially hints of Coltrane but with big influences from Hank Mobley (I’d check out the ‘Workout’ album by HM) too. Very strong brass throughout with tight swinging bass and really neat piano holding it…

Lead the way – Soulstance – 2006

Acid jazz with a latin vibe is how I’d describe this band. Elements of 70′s movie soundtracks meet some quite intricate piano work. A lovely brass section feature throughout with some really vibrant percussion.Imagine Quincy Jones meets Horace Silver with a touch of Lee Morgan on trumpet (maybe!) – there’s a really groovy feel to the album with vibes and lots of percussion. A nice strong confident brass section adds some real depth to the music which wouldn’t be out of place at a carnival/fiesta scene – great party music (if you’re an oldie like me of course!)http://youtu.be/kb0PdPtGC7Uhttp://youtu.be/CmpIoXtkXmg

MJA – Metropolitan Jazz Affair – 2003

Metropolitan Jazz Affair are a sort of jazz/hip hop fusion with the emphasis on Jazz. There’s a modicum of R&B in there too so they sit well with many ‘jazz’ schools!I’ve just bought MJA which was out in 2003 so is by no means new. There are some great old skool beats with a neat brass section. Not especially technical, this album is about the feeling you get when listening, rather than the ability of the horn players. My favourite track is ‘navarone’ which has a really foot-tapping, light rhythm and some great jamming on the hammond organ halfway through.Not for everyone as it’s not purely jazz, this is a great album with a lovely…