exystence club

Norma Winstone conjures an autumnal orchestral reverie on her 2026 archival recording A Timeless Place. Originally recorded for radio broadcast in 1990, the album finds the British jazz vocalist performing with Germany’s Rundfunkorchester Hannover des NDR (later known as the NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra), led at the time by conductor/arranger/pianist Steve Gray. Gray has a particularly empathetic ear, and while his arrangements are often sumptuously realized, full of tropical flute, brass, and string flourishes, they serve to frame, rather than restrict, Winstone’s airy, night-time vocals. Here, she performs a mix of originals and standards, some of which were drawn from her own albums.
The most striking discovery is the opening…

Norma Winstone is widely considered the grand dame of British jazz. She’s released dozens of albums and lists hundreds of recording credits. Her many collaborations include British jazz musicians Michael Garrick, late former husband John Taylor, Kenny Wheeler, Barbara Thompson, Kit Downes, and Dave Holland.
Gilles Peterson Presents Norma Winstone at Maida Vele is a live-in-studio album, part of the collaboration between BBE and the U.K. DJ. As has been her custom from the very beginning, Winstone surrounds herself with stellar musicians who include her sons Alex Taylor and Leo Taylor on vocals and drums respectively, globally celebrated tuba player Oren Marshall, Polar Bear saxophonist Mark Lockheart, and pianist…