In the poignant contingent of “lockdown” albums, this is probably not going to be the last; however, it is one of the best. Recorded remotely all over the world over the course of 11 months the music is not far short of miraculous in terms of its cohesive outcome.
The album’s title derives from a line in Haruki Murakami’s 1999 novel Sputnik Sweetheart. To add to the piquancy of this record, guitarist Ant Law and saxophonist Alex Hitchcock, in their debut as joint leaders, have recruited some outstanding players from across the globe.
This is not the first major collaborative project in which Hitchcock has been involved. His previous album comprised 15 musicians variously playing over 12 of his compositions. Appropriately titled Dream Band (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2021) the international line-up included Americans Chris Cheek, Jason Brown and David Adewumi, and British musicians Deschanel Gordon and Cherise Adams-Burnett.
The opener, Hitchcock’s Outliers, sets the pace for the album, powered by Eric Harland’s snappy drumming with the tenorist’s strident soloing backed by Law’s close-knit comping. Law’s lightning-fast lines on his composition Haven’t Meta Yet positively coruscate. The Hitchcock-penned Low Glow features pianist Shai Maestro and bassist Jasper Høiby and spectacular tenor work from its composer. Following bassist Ben Williams’ solo on the labyrinthine Chrysalis, Hitchcock and Law trade bars with each other. Vibist Joel Ross is showcased on Vivid alongside bassist Linda May Han Oh, whose uncredited wordless vocals embellish the tune.
Salvo again features Ross’s limpid vibes where he traces the head alongside Hitchcock’s tenor. Law doesn’t confine himself to electric guitar as is witnessed on his ruminative composition Don’t Wait Too Long, augmented by Tim Garland on bass clarinet. The all-too-short closer, Coltrane’s After The Rain, with Law and Hitchcock playing in an unaccompanied duet, is a brief but exquisite finale to a stellar set.
Discography
Outliers; Haven’t Meta Yet; Low Glow; Third I; Chrysalis; Vivid; Salvo; Don’t Wait Too Long; After The Rain (51.50)
Law (g, elg); Hitchcock (ts); Joel Ross (vib); Shai Maestro (p); Tim Garland (bcl); Linda May Han Oh, Jasper Høiby, Ben Williams (b); Eric Harland, Jeff Ballard, Kendrick Scott, Sun-Mi Hong (d). Various locations, October 2020 to September 2021.
Outside In Music OiM2223
