Neil Cowley Trio: Entity (Hide Inside Records HIDECD003)
This month’s digest starts with two excellent releases from piano-led bands. After a considerable break, Neil Cowley returns with his trio and a pared back sound that explores the joy of human connection in the digital age. In years to come, cultural historians may well write about the impact the pandemic had on musicians and the work they produced in the years following 2020’s global lockdowns. It’s certainly been one of the influences on Cowley as he explores that challenge along with others such as the influence of social media on how people connect. Rejecting the use of some of his extensive electronic instruments (“they just got in the way”), he has produced in Entity a work of shimmering beauty, with emotional connection between Cowley, Rex Horan and Evan Jenkins central to the music. You can hear how much they enjoy being back together. Dreamy melodies, the occasional hint of new-age ambience and a sense of reflection draw out the best from the trio as it reunites for this inspiring album.
Aaron Parks: Little Big III (Blue Note 00602465784657)
The second excellent release features Aaron Parks and his continuing Little Big project. This started in 2018, with the name inspired by the fantasy novel from author John Crowley. All members of the band refuse to see the artificial divisions between jazz improvisation, rock and electronic textures. As a result, the compositions on this latest release move comfortably across styles, incorporating influences from a seemingly endless number of sources. Willamina and Delusions explore exciting rhythms drawn from world music, and everyone seems comfortable working across these different genres. Greg Tuohey offers some lovely guitar solos and the whole album reflects the musical connection between the players – no-one needs to try too hard to get heard. Parks also shows himself as a skilled composer of beautiful ballads as the album closes with the simple but powerful Ashe. The Little Big project shows no sign of running out of ideas when the music is this good. 42 minutes of pure class.
Phil Bancroft Trio: Swings And Roundabouts (Myriad 004)
This album was originally released in 1997, featuring Bancroft on tenor sax and Marcello Pellitteri on drums and Steve Watts on bass. At the time of its original release, there was lots going on with the Scottish jazz scene, with musicians such as Colin Steele, Kevin Mackenzie and Brian Kellock also becoming more prominent on the scene. There is a sense that Bancroft was feeling his way here as a leader. In places, it sounds very much like a young Andy Sheppard, with muscular tenor solos dominating the compositions. A cover of Ellington’s I Got It Bad offers a softer side of Bancroft’s playing at this early stage in his career, but as an album, it didn’t always engage me.
Alasdair Pennington: This Is (Hidden Threads HTR-004)
Despite the austere album cover rendered in black and white, the music is anything but. Drummer and composer Alasdair Pennington has surrounded himself with some fine musicians and the result is a highly listenable collection which in places harks back to the sound of American jazz from the 50s and 60s. Sax players Donovan Haffner (alto) and Matt Anderson (tenor) almost steal the show in places, interweaving their sounds with effortless swing, and offering up some very engaging solos. On bluesy ballad moments, Haffner sounds uncannily like late period Art Pepper. Even the tuning and damping of Alex Wilson’s piano gives a few of his lines a George Cables vibe, which only adds to the throwback nature of the music – in a good way. Pennington serves up some dynamic drum solos that shows power, inventiveness and subtlety, but it is his craft as a composer that really stands out across the album.
The Tony Currie Orchestra: Race The Sun (Pye Records NSPL 18626)
Radio DJ, TV announcer, record producer and operator of his own radio station, Tony Currie has now put together his own orchestra and recorded an album of the music that has been important in his life. If some of the other albums reviewed in this month’s digest have had a throwback feel, then this one goes full throttle on the nostalgia. Drawing on themes from television programmes, cinema advertising and more, Currie has produced a lush sounding orchestral album that oozes a sense of excitement and urgency. Inspiration is drawn from earlier times when Lulu had her own show on BBC1, when it was okay to light up a cigarette at the pictures, and when Tony Hatch composed some of the most memorable and catchy theme music you would hear on television and radio. Given the era the album captures, it seems fitting that it concludes with a spirited, swinging version of Downtown. A feel good, irresistibly enjoyable listen, Currie’s project also serves to remind us of Tony Hatch’s considerable skills at crafting songs that, once lodged in the mind, are hard to shift.