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Reviewed: Karl Latham | Claire Martin | Guy Klucevsek, Volker Goetze Quartet | Gouldian Finch

Karl Latham: Living Standards II (Drop Zone Jazz Records DZJ121241001) | Claire Martin: Almost In Your Arms (STUCD 24062) | Guy Klucevsek, Volker Goetze Quartet: Little Big Top (Motema Music MTM0450) | Gouldian Finch: Schizo (All Ape 00AA9CD)

Karl Latham: Living Standards II (Drop Zone Jazz Records DZJ121241001)

This is the follow up to Latham’s 2016 collection of 11 rock pieces that were given the jazz-fusion treatment. This time around, Latham has collected eight songs from the likes of The Doors, Stephen Stills, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant and taken them in new directions whilst preserving the sentiment and integrity of the original material.

In a way, the album is a loving and respectful tribute to some of the music Latham enjoyed hearing as he grew up in the 1960s and 70s. There is an engaging mix of heavy-reverb guitar, touches of psychedelia and funky keyboard blues to enjoy as the band works through the set list. A standout interpretation is Latham’s take on the Eric Clapton classic Layla. Starting off at a brisk pace, the well-known theme is gradually worked into something mellow and softer, with some lovely keyboard blues from Henry Hey to bring the piece to a gentle, very jazz-influenced finale.

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Jazz-fusion can often sound self-indulgent and more focused on the technicalities of playing than the emotion of the songs. That doesn’t happen here. Surrounded by some fine musicians and including the always subtle but commanding work of Mark Egan on bass, Latham has produced a superb album that grows more impressive with each listen.

Claire Martin: Almost In Your Arms (STUCD 24062)

One of Claire Martin’s greatest talents as a musician is knowing how to select and interpret a range of songs that work together seamlessly on an album. Almost In Your Arms is an exemplary demonstration of that talent. Drawing on material from distinguished and skilled practitioners of musical storytelling that include Tom Waits, Carole King, Rufus Wainwright, Elvis Costello, Burt Bacharach and Don Black, Claire and her Swedish trio deliver a sophisticated and stylish album that delights from start to finish.

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Nothing sounds forced or phoney and the album is all the more powerful for that. Claire’s interpretation of the Costello/Bacharach song This House Is Empty Now is better than the original for delivering emotional impact. A Claire Martin and James McMillan original Apparently, I’m Fine, blends perfectly with the sentiment and cleverness of the other songs on the album.

The high-quality production and mixing of the album also add to the listening pleasure, proving yet again that Hastings based Quietmoney Studios can compete with the best of them. A real delight.

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Guy Klucevsek, Volker Goetze Quartet: Little Big Top (Motema Music MTM0450)

Little Big Top gathers a range of compositions from accordion maestro Guy Klucevsek. Featuring Volker Goetze on trumpet and flugelhorn this is an eclectic selection that, as Klucevsek explains in the liner notes, explores a diverse range of genres, meters, moods and emotions. The combination of accordion and horn makes for an interesting listen, and between them there is an unexpectedly rich and varied palate to enjoy.

Klucevsek’s influences are many, including Nino Rota, Kurt Weill, bassist Rufus Reid and Klucevsek’s wife Jan. There is a striking sense of integrity and honesty to the music often conveyed in simple themes that carry real weight and emotion. Perhaps this is heard most strikingly in The Sun, The Moon, And The Truth, based on a saying attributed to the Buddha that three things in life cannot be hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth. Klucevsek dedicates this song to friends in Kiev who stayed in Ukraine after the Russian invasion started in 2022.

Accompanied by pithy, witty liner notes, the music on Little Big Top is very clearly composed and performed from the heart by all involved in the project.

Gouldian Finch: Schizo (All Ape 00AA9CD)

Gouldian Finch is the musical alter ego of Martin Horntveth, a Norwegian composer who is also known for work with the band Jaga Jazzist. The experimental nature of the music performed by Jaga Jazzist is reflected in this solo project. Schizo is based on Polaroid, a work commissioned for the Kongsberg Jazz Festival in 2021.

This is a busy, bustling album, heavy on tight brass and rapid changes in tempo and mood, all underpinned by Horntveth’s contributions on percussion, keyboards and programming. Shades of Kraftwerk and Propellerheads also influence the overall sound of the music. The compositions burst with energy and ideas, but occasionally there is so much happening that it is hard to absorb.

Interestingly, Horntveth mentions his “love/hate” relationship with fusion and funk in the liner notes, which presumably has influenced how he has approached some of the compositions. Polaroid, the track based on the original commissioned work that shapes the album, offers a gentler interlude among the musical busyness, complete with shimmering violin from Hakon Aase, and a tick-tock rhythm that builds the layers of the song to a dramatic finale.

Tucked away in the multi-layered sound generated on Schizo, there are some lovely melodies and an overall sense of energy and optimism that makes for an uplifting, contemporary listen.

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