The Lush Life Blog
When Jazz Took the DIY Route: Inside New York's Loft Jazz Movement
In the early 1970s, young avant-garde musicians transformed abandoned Manhattan lofts into intimate performance spaces, creating some of jazz's most adventurous music outside the commercial system. This DIY movement produced essential recordings that exist primarily on rare, self-pressed vinyl. Explore the story of loft jazz, from Studio Rivbea to the legendary Wildflowers sessions, and discover why these records remain vital to this day.
When Jazz Took the DIY Route: Inside New York's Loft Jazz Movement
In the early 1970s, young avant-garde musicians transformed abandoned Manhattan lofts into intimate performance spaces, creating some of jazz's most adventurous music outside the commercial system. This DIY movement produced essential recordings that exist primarily on rare, self-pressed vinyl. Explore the story of loft jazz, from Studio Rivbea to the legendary Wildflowers sessions, and discover why these records remain vital to this day.
Album of the Month: SML – How You Been
SML, the Los Angeles supergroup return with How You Been, their breakthrough second album on International Anthem. Crafted from over eight hours of entirely improvised performances across LA, New York, Chicago, and Seattle, the quintet's extensive post-production transforms raw spontaneity into 13 tracks of trance-jazz. This is progressive music that manages to feel both cerebral and visceral, proving that LA's current jazz scene rivals any creative hotbed in modern music history.
Album of the Month: SML – How You Been
SML, the Los Angeles supergroup return with How You Been, their breakthrough second album on International Anthem. Crafted from over eight hours of entirely improvised performances across LA, New York, Chicago, and Seattle, the quintet's extensive post-production transforms raw spontaneity into 13 tracks of trance-jazz. This is progressive music that manages to feel both cerebral and visceral, proving that LA's current jazz scene rivals any creative hotbed in modern music history.
Jazz Kissa: Inside Japan's Legendary Listening Cafés
Step inside a Tokyo basement where towering JBL speakers fill the room with John Coltrane, where silence is sacred, and where vinyl has been worshipped for nearly 100 years. Discover the fascinating world of Japan's jazz kissas, the legendary listening cafés that shaped the country's audiophile culture and produced some of the world's most prized vinyl pressings.
Jazz Kissa: Inside Japan's Legendary Listening Cafés
Step inside a Tokyo basement where towering JBL speakers fill the room with John Coltrane, where silence is sacred, and where vinyl has been worshipped for nearly 100 years. Discover the fascinating world of Japan's jazz kissas, the legendary listening cafés that shaped the country's audiophile culture and produced some of the world's most prized vinyl pressings.
Rudy Van Gelder: The Man Who Shaped the Sound of Jazz
Ever wonder why those classic Blue Note records sound so incredible? Meet Rudy Van Gelder, the optometrist-turned-engineer who recorded jazz's greatest albums from a suburban New Jersey living room. From Coltrane's A Love Supreme to Rollins's Saxophone Colossus, Van Gelder's sonic fingerprint defined the golden age of jazz. Discover the man behind the "RVG" inscribed in your favourite pressings.
Rudy Van Gelder: The Man Who Shaped the Sound of Jazz
Ever wonder why those classic Blue Note records sound so incredible? Meet Rudy Van Gelder, the optometrist-turned-engineer who recorded jazz's greatest albums from a suburban New Jersey living room. From Coltrane's A Love Supreme to Rollins's Saxophone Colossus, Van Gelder's sonic fingerprint defined the golden age of jazz. Discover the man behind the "RVG" inscribed in your favourite pressings.
Album of the Month: Chicago Underground Duo – Hyperglyph
Chicago Underground Duo, the enduring collaboration between cornetist Rob Mazurek and drummer Chad Taylor, return with Hyperglyph after an 11-year hiatus, their first album since 2014. Released on International Anthem, this collection represents 28 years of musical friendship distilled into 11 tracks that bridge free jazz tradition with electronic experimentation.
Album of the Month: Chicago Underground Duo – Hyperglyph
Chicago Underground Duo, the enduring collaboration between cornetist Rob Mazurek and drummer Chad Taylor, return with Hyperglyph after an 11-year hiatus, their first album since 2014. Released on International Anthem, this collection represents 28 years of musical friendship distilled into 11 tracks that bridge free jazz tradition with electronic experimentation.
The History of CTI Records: How Creed Taylor Brought Jazz to the Masses
When you pull out a CTI Records album, you're holding more than just vinyl. You're holding a piece of one of the most ambitious experiments in jazz history: bringing sophisticated improvisation to mainstream audiences without compromising artistic integrity. Founded by producer Creed Taylor in 1967, CTI revolutionised how jazz could sound, look and sell. Discover the label that bridged jazz virtuosity with pop appeal, and why these records still matter.
The History of CTI Records: How Creed Taylor Brought Jazz to the Masses
When you pull out a CTI Records album, you're holding more than just vinyl. You're holding a piece of one of the most ambitious experiments in jazz history: bringing sophisticated improvisation to mainstream audiences without compromising artistic integrity. Founded by producer Creed Taylor in 1967, CTI revolutionised how jazz could sound, look and sell. Discover the label that bridged jazz virtuosity with pop appeal, and why these records still matter.