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Reviews

“ loops, grooves and improvisation set up an intriguing mix of mesmeric rhythms and textures ”

Allaboutjazz.com review of Pallett
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“ a band in the true sense of the word ”

Selwyn Harris, Jazzwise Magazine 1 Dec 2023 review of Pallett
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“ It really does sound like now ”

Phil Johnson, London Jazz News 6 Nov 2023 review of Pallett
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“ The quartet … bring melody and rhythm together in a perfect marriage—individual in demeanor, distinct in personality, but never parting from one another. Their newest recording smolders. ”

Dave Sumner, Bandcamp Daily 14 Nov 2023
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“ very fresh – no mean achievement for a seventh album ”

Tony Benjamin, Bristol 24/7 16th Oct 2023 live review
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“ excellent, possibly unmissable ”

Dave Foxall, Jazz Journal Jazz Record of the Year 19 Feb 2019 review of Bristopia
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“ one of the most original groups on the scene, and every note they play proves that assertion ”

Bird is the Worm 11 Jan 2019 review of Bristopia
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“ A group that has established a signature sound but can’t help experimenting with its own identity, with consistently fascinating results. ”

Ian Mann, The Jazzmann 25 Sept 2018 review of Bristopia
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“ It’s a dirty love letter to Bristol that doesn’t stop giving, and a truly unique listen that sets the pace for the current UK Jazz revival ”

Jamie Parmenter, Vinyl Chapters` 4 Oct 2018 review of Bristopia
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“ Bristopia is bursting with creativity, an album that’s sometimes playful, sometimes dark and sometimes just simply mind blowing. Get The Blessing bring their ‘A’ game to create a uncompromising contemporary jazz-Rock adventure. ”

Adrian Barr, Backseat Mafia 6 Sept 2018 review of Bristopia
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“ atrocious, cacophonous, monotonous, pretentious ”

John White, Jazz Journal Aug 2018 review of Bristopia
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“ Astronautilus est la photosynthèse d’un monde insensé, de la part d’un groupe moins planant, plus ténébreux, mais toujours simplement en quête de bénédiction ”

Anne Yven, Citizen Jazz, France 31 Jan 2016 review of Astronautilus
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“ The momentum of creativity is undipped ”

Neil McKim, BBC Music Magazine Oct 2105 review of Astronautilus
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“ Seriously creative … wonderfully irreverent ”

Charles Waring, Mojo Magazine Setpember 2015 review of Astronautilus
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“ A blast of assured electro-jazz ”

Tony Benjamin, Bristol 24/7 September 2014 review of Astronautilus
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“ a block-rocking riot ”

Paul Margree, Louder Than War September 2015 review of Astronautilus
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“ a welcome addendum of mystique, intrigue and flat out bravado to the jazz vernacular ”

Buzz Magazine September 2015 review of Astronautilus
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“ pounding rhythms, spacious atmospheres and strongly-crafted melodies – plus, of course, the unpredictability and musical mischievousness that have made the band so exciting and successful ”

High Violet September 2015 review of Astronautilus
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“ Krautrock…Eno-esque minimalism…resembles a BBC Radiophonic Workshop monster 7/10 ”

John Lewis, Uncut January 2014 review of Lope And Antilope
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“ This is trip hop-informed contemporary jazz-rock at its very best ”

Rosanne Hanley, Time Out January 2014 review of Lope And Antilope
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“ Jazz-rock, yes, but not as we know it. Bands attempting to combine the two traditions so often slip into gee-whiz bombast or bland modal ambience. Not so the Bristol-based quartet Get the Blessing. A collection that was, it seems, mostly improvised from scratch in the space of a few days, this is fiercely intelligent music in which muted trumpet and saxophone, enhanced by thoughtful washes of electronica, perform pirouettes over refreshingly melodic vamps. The Portishead guitarist Adrian Utley drops by, too. Clive Deamer’s drumming is astonishingly measured and precise throughout. ”

Clive Davis, Sunday Times January 2014 review of Lope And Antilope

“ It’s probably their best album yet, and the titles aren’t bad either ”

John Fordham, The Guardian January 2014 review of Lope And Antilope
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“ This album is an incredible achievement in which there is not one bad aspect. A Masterpiece of temperance and understatement, a career defining moment in which we all fall in love with ‘The Blessing’ ”

Philip Allen, Louder Than War January 2014 review of Lope And Antilope
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“ an extremely powerful, memorable, atmospheric and original album, built on the jazz tradition, but to which the label ‘jazz’ is pretty much an irrelevance. One of the best records I’ve heard in a while ”

Oliver Arditi March 2014 review of Lope And Antilope
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“ The only element to expect is more understated intelligent brilliance ”

David Kushar, Spiral Earth February 2014 review of Lope And Antilope
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“ it’s perhaps their least classifiable album to date, certainly the most interesting, and arguably the best… they remain one of the most interesting bands around – and a terrific live act ”

Ian Mann, The Jazz Mann January 2014 review of Lope And Antilope
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“ Get The Blessing have successfully achieved in Lope and Antilope the right balance between what once was and what now is ”

God is in the TV January 2012 review of Lope And Antilope
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“ This is an album to listen to and revisit, full of creative interplay, sonic tricks, clever minimal solos and huge and varied atmosphere ”

Martin Price, Fatea January 2014 review of Lope And Antilope
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“ bristles with more improvising and ensemble ingenuity and the result is an album that manages to unleash the momentum trip hop hampered by the constraints of downtempo dance music could never really tackle ”

Marlbank January 2014 review of Lope And Antilope
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“ The eccentricity of Get the Blessing’s disparate influences have, with this album, congealed into a captivating, compulsively listenable singularity ”

Shaun Brady, Jazz Times November 2012 review of OCDC
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“ moody as a moonlit street, and instantly recognisable ”

Ivan Hewitt, Daily Telegraph March 2012 review of OCDC
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“ mixes the spirit of Ornette Coleman with the electric thump of indie rock… OC DC is their most convincing yet ”

John Bungey, The Times April 2012 review of OCDC
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“ grinding, hypnotic basslines…strong melodies.. Sometimes flirting with dub and a cerebral brand of fusion that recalls Soft Machine ”

John Lewis, Uncut May 2012 review of OCDC
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“ mixes scorching rock with Ornette Coleman-like sax and much more besides to thrilling effect ”

John Fordham, The Guardian March 2012 review of OCDC
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“ OCDC reveals Get The Blessing as a contemporary music combo with even more delicious potential than we realised ”

Tony Benjamin, Venue Magazine March 2012 review of OCDC
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“ Get the Blessing deliver daft between-tunes gags with a winningly apologetic resignation, but there’s nothing resigned, apologetic, or frivolous about their music ”

John Fordham, The Guardian March 2013 live review
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“ Take one trumpet, one sax, a modicum of electronics and see what magic you can create ”

Mike Collins, London Jazz News March 2013 live review
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“ …they may well be the most original and exciting band on the British scene at the moment ”

Duncan Heining, Jazzwise Magazine live review
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“ GTB harness rock and jazz with uncompromising power ”

Mike Flynn, Time Our live review
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“ És un so diferent que deixa els sibarites del jazz convençuts d’una gran troballa, potser la mateixa sensació que va tenir el primer europeu que va tastar a Amèrica la xocolata ”

Ara Estiu, Spain live review
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“ Occasionally you hear a jazz album that you know would shift truckloads of units if only it weren’t labelled ‘jazz’. Bugs in Amber is just such a disc ”

Robert Shore, Metro review of Bugs In Amber
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“ this outfit will surely recharge the jazz world ”

Neil McKim, BBC Music Magazine review of Bugs In Amber
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“ the heavyweights of the contemporary jazz scene ”

Tim Cumming, The Independent review of Bugs In Amber
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“ … a really varied and inventive genre-crossing set ”

John Fordham, The Guardian review of Bugs In Amber
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“ Gloriously powerful ”

Barry Witherden, BBC Music Magazine review of All Is Yes
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“ Seamless and startling ”

Chris Ingham, The Times review of All Is Yes
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“ The Blessing are a blast ”

Chris Ingham, Mojo Magazine review of All Is Yes
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“ A revelation ”

Jack Massarik, London Evening Standard live review
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