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Seven of the Best: Songs of July 2026

'It is easy to see the beginnings of things, and harder to see the ends'. Taking her title from the essay by Joan Didion which closed the author's debut collection Slouching Towards Bethlehem, this week Jess Williamson introduces her new album A Mile South of Heaven by way of the single and record opener 'Goodbye to All That'. The singer duly notes: Didion's essay is about leaving New York after eight years and how 'it's distinctly possible...

Seven of the Best: Jazz Albums Not in Downbeat’s 74th Critics Poll

A couple of weeks ago Downbeat published their August issue and with it their 74th annual critics poll of the best in jazz. The list is a lengthy undertaking in so far as it contains 62 categories, which invite critics to vote for a mix of established figures and rising stars. The headlines for this 74th edition of the...

In Performance: ‘Wayfaring Woman’ by Mac Cornish

If this is your first time listening to Mac Cornish, hearing her tell of the serendipitous circumstances by which she wrote the song 'Wayfaring Woman' - which she performs here for the roving documentary channel Western AF - would not stir you in the least to expect the sheer power of her voice, a captivating instrument which is deep...

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