Billie Eilish’s third is a triumph, Shabaka goes woodwind and Yunchan Lim makesthe most thrilling piano debut of the decade … here are our music team’s picks of the best LPs from the first half of the year
May 2024
Kamasi Washington: Fearless Movement review – the sax star dials up the tempos
Input from George Clinton, André 3000 and Washington’s toddler daughter feature on his virtuosic, richly varied latest
November 2023
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on his giant 50-song album: ‘I wanted to approach it like an experiment’
The composer and arranger has worked with everyone from Ray Charles to Rihanna. Now he’s stepping into the spotlight with a mammoth three and a half hour debut LP … and that’s just volume one
April 2023
Dinner Party: Enigmatic Society review – slinky, synthy R&B
The jazz supergroup without the ego bring an LA breeziness to an album shimmering with 80s synths and G-funk
May 2022
‘Like them, we’re fragile’: how Randall Poster assembled his star-packed birdsong project
The esteemed music supervisor enlisted stars such as Mark Ronson, Nick Cave, Beck, Sean Penn and Tilda Swinton for an ambitious new project
June 2021
‘We could lose it all’: UK jazz tries to get its groove back after Covid
The world-class British jazz scene was hit hard by the pandemic. As live shows and in-person collaboration resume, Steam Down, Soweto Kinch and more discuss the future
November 2019
The decade in music
Fresh heirs: how Kamasi Washington gave jazz back to the kids
He rewrote the jazz rulebook and brought a genre once thought dead to a new generation of music fans
May 2019
All Points East review – blockbuster festival makes a muted return
Kamasi Washington says Brexit could make touring UK tricky for artists
February 2019
Brits 2019: who will – and should – win every award
Can Dua Lipa have a second successful Brits year in a row, or will George Ezra dominate the biggest categories? Ahead of tonight’s ceremony, we ponder the likely winners
January 2019
2019 Brit award nominations topped by Anne-Marie and Dua Lipa – again
2019 arts preview
Pop, punk and protest songs: the hottest music on the horizon in 2019
December 2018
Observer critics' review of 2018
Kitty Empire’s best pop and rock of 2018
Albums got shorter and longer, jazz came back again, and our cups ran over with killer music from Janelle Monáe, Idles, Mitski and more
Best music of 2018
The 50 best albums of 2018, No 7: Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth
The saxophonist achieved a maximal sound of choral harmonies, sweeping orchestration and his own raging intensity
Flying Lotus: ‘Kendrick Lamar absolutely deserves the key to the city’
Steven Ellison, otherwise known as Flying Lotus, on unearthing new talent, LA beat, ‘difficult’ Tyler, the Creator and ten years of Brainfeeder records
July 2018
Kitty Empire's artist of the week
Florence + the Machine: High As Hope review – high flyer coming in to land
Her elemental themes and gale-force delivery remain but Florence Welch now seems to be settling for a little calm
June 2018
The best original photographs from the Observer
Original Observer photography
Kamasi Washington: Heaven and Earth review – a second album full of vitality
Alexis Petridis's album of the week
Kamasi Washington: Heaven and Earth review – passionate sounds of the gathering storm
Kamasi Washington, figurehead of the new jazz revival
