Chris Ingham Quintet: Walter/Donald (Downhome Records DOHO 007)
Amongst the melodic, clever and witty popular music that emerged from America in the 1970s and 80s from the likes of Jackson Browne, Randy Newman and Warren Zevon, the songs of Steely Dan were some of the very best. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were influenced by literature and jazz, and these passions informed the music they made. Given the sophistication and style of the original material, how is it possible to reinterpret the songs and find a fresh perspective on them? That question has been asked – and answered successfully – in this superb release by the Chris Ingham Quintet.
Ingham is a performer, producer and author, and has explored a range of music from the likes of Hoagy Carmichael, Dudley Moore, Stan Getz and The Beatles. That depth of musical knowledge is put to fine use on this Steely Dan project. Subtitled “A Becker-Fagen Songbook Volume 1”, Walter/Donald reinterprets 11 tracks from across the range of releases from Steely Dan and some material Fagen and Becker wrote and released either with other collaborators or on their own. Shining new light through old windows, the quintet skilfully avoids trying to be a tribute band to Steely Dan, but instead offers some lovely, subtle jazz interpretations of the material. Ingham doesn’t try to sound American or ape the rasping edge that was sometimes present in the original songs. Instead, he uses his own very lovely voice to explore the songs with a softer approach, and when teamed with the vocal harmonies of drummer George Double the results are just beautiful.
The notes with the CD are also interesting and well worth a read as they reveal much about the approach Becker and Fagen took to the songs they wrote, especially in relation to use of chords and progressions in their compositions. “You have to find a midway between cliché and pretension” is a standout quote from Fagen, because not only did Steely Dan successfully navigate that challenge, but Chris Ingham has sidestepped many of the pitfalls that can result from covering such strong original material. Walter/Donald is a superbly realised album, performed by a quintet that oozes quiet confidence in what they are about. Let’s hope the second volume is underway soon.
Bill Laurance: Lumen (ACT 8017-2)
Recorded in St Faith’s Church, Dulwich, London over two dates in April 2025, Lumen finds the pianist and composer Bill Laurance exploring this unique setting and finding inspiration that shaped how the music was created. Anyone who enjoyed Laurance’s recordings with Michael League will find this solo venture equally engaging. Although not a lockdown inspired project, there is something here that links Lumen to some other ACT artists such as Nils Landgren who recorded solo projects in new venues when the pandemic restricted performances.
Laurance writes that he felt that the music on Lumen was telling him what to play, and that he was the passenger on this journey. This is also like experiences described by Brad Mehldau, especially in his Bach project, where he often felt Bach and his own compositions merged and took on their own unique journey. It is worth reflecting on these experiences, because although Laurance states that he is not religious, there is something spiritual and undefinable about the way this music is composed and performed, and he clearly felt the way these songs came about was different from how he usually works.
The 10 tracks are masterpieces of simplicity and yet, at the same time, depth. Perhaps it is the church location, the process of recording through day and night, or the sense of being in a “solo retreat” that has shaped the content on Lumen. Whatever the process, the music sounds like a combination of jazz (it is easy to hear Laurance’s angular approach to composition on some of the songs), classical – with dream-like Debussy influences on display at times – and spiritual. This is particularly notable on the closing track, a five-minute piece of beauty and peace called Even After All. Lumen was recorded on two Yamaha pianos – a grand and an upright with felt. This often lends an eerie, other worldly texture to the music. This seems entirely in keeping with the location for this project as the dying notes linger in the quiet of the deserted church.
Bennett & Knight: Chouette (Mandeville Records MVL9)
At 27 minutes, Chouette sounds like a set of songs you might hear a warm-up band perform before the main act comes on stage. It’s personal, it’s gentle and it touches on individual history and wider social issues, but at times it does seem to lack variety and presence. Ginger Bennett’s vocals are often drowned out a little by fellow musicians (unless that is down to the recording and mixing). But this does detract a bit from the impact of the lyrics, especially on a track like Undoing, about slavery and the lasting impact this has on individuals and wider communities.
Matt Miles adds some meat to things on flute, tenor sax and bass clarinet, but across the album there is a slight sense of restraint that is hard to shake. Part smooth-jazz, part personal and social commentary, the slight blandness that reduces the impact of the album is absent only in the final track, titled Fool. On this, Bennett’s vocals are more front and centre, giving a sense of real engagement with the sentiment of the song that is missing a little bit elsewhere. More in the vein of this bitter-sweet wrap-up track would have been nice to hear as a way of highlighting the considerable talent that lurks in the shadows on Chouette.
