Dave Jones Quartet: Is That The Time?

2291

This is Jones’s tenth jazz CD release under his own name but, like the rest of the band, he has been busy in other spheres. (How else does a jazz musician make a living?) Between them they have recorded and/or toured with outfits as diverse as Kasabian, Portishead and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as composing film scores, yet still finding time to “keep the faith” with a whole raft of fine jazz groups: e.g., Long is on the latest John Law album, the impressive Configuration, and Waghorn and Hague work together often as part of Hague’s excellent hard-bop quintet, where the leader plays first-rate trumpet. (I confess I didn’t know until now that Hague is also a very useful drummer.)

Dedication opens this EP with a short squall of sound but soon settles into an easy-going ballad-like piece. There are fine extended acoustic solos by Long and Jones before Waghorn’s more edgy soprano solo, which eventually resolves in a serene closing passage with the sax in the lower register. Waghorn switches to flute for the appealing Dai’s Bossa, with lissom solos by him and Jones and a dextrous yet unshowy contribution from Long. The electric instruments come in on No Parking! along with Waghorn’s tenor. (He is, incidentally, one of my favourite tenor players.) There’s a jazz-rock tinge to this, but not too much, and again Long’s flashing fingers avoid virtuosity taking over from good taste and musicality.

Discography
Dedication (Doctone); Dai’s Bossa; No Parking! (22.09)
Ben Waghorn (f, ss, ts); Dave Jones (p, elp, syn); Ashley John Long (b, elb); Andy Hague (d). Cardiff, 16 & 24 April, 2 May 2019.
DJT 010

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dave-jones-quartet-is-that-the-time"This is Jones’s tenth jazz CD release under his own name ... lissom solos ... a jazz-rock tinge ... good taste and musicality"