Matt Bianco: Masquerader (Membran 271679)
Matt Bianco does not exist. A fictional character inspired by a love of the spy genre, the band behind the character is actually led by frontman Mark Reilly. Launched in the early 1980s, the original line up enjoyed some big hits and top-ten fame with singles such as Yeh Yeh and Get Out Of Your Lazy Bed. Some four decades and several changes of personnel later, Masquerader is the 17th album released under the Matt Bianco name.
Latin, jazz and pop all influence the sounds on the album, which kicks off with Playing With Dynamite. This fast-paced opener, with Reilly’s distinctive vocals backed with washes of trumpet and propelled by an efficient, swinging rhythm section, sets the mood for the next 30 minutes or so. Joining Reilly are fellow musicians including Ricardo Silveria on guitar, Venezuelan vocalist Lino G Rocha, London’s Betty Black and saxophonist Dave O’Higgins.
The album is a relentless, feel-good listen, driven by a love of infectious Latin rhythms, tempered by a few slower and reflective tracks. Listening to some of Matt Bianco’s material from the 80s, it is possible to hear the same influences at work on Masquerader, with the sound being polished and sharpened over the decades. Much as Status Quo got the adaptation of the 12-bar blues down to a fine art on almost anything they played, the same could be said of Matt Bianco and Mark Reilly’s skill at producing high-quality lounge jazz that practically demands you get up and dance. Rather like the musical equivalent of an espresso, Masquerader is a high-energy shot but you probably don’t need a lot of it at once, so the run time of 33 minutes feels just about right.
Rolf Thofte Quintet: Martha’s Dance (April Records APR148CD)
Rolf Thofte was born in 1988, and both his parents were amateur musicians. Rolf’s father’s record collection included material from Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Lee Morgan, so it is perhaps no surprise that Rolf was tempted at the age of 12 to pick up the trumpet and give it a go. And now, here we are some decades later, with Thofte being recognised as one of the most talented and prolific jazz trumpeters on the Danish jazz scene.
The influence of that record collection at home may also have shaped Thofte’s talents as a composer on this debut release for April Records. There is certainly a throwback feel to the jazz sounds of yesteryear as well as the effect Thofte’s life events, such as becoming a father. The quintet sounds sharp and focused, and Thofte has been canny enough to draw on top talent from the Copenhagen jazz scene, including Andreas Toftemark on tenor saxophone, Rasmus Sorensen on piano, Jakob Roland on bass and Henrik Holst on drums.
There’s a quiet sense of real confidence about this debut release, with a nice mix of tempos, moods and rhythms shaping the performances. Thofte can certainly belt out a powerful solo when called for but also reveals a more mellow and reflective nature on quieter tracks that draw inspiration from life, nature, politics and change. American jazz influence meets Nordic melancholy in the closing track Dunkelflaute, described in the CD notes as being about those typical grey, wet and sad November days in Denmark. That may be so, but grey, wet and sad are definitely not words to describe this punchy, engaging and well-crafted album from a quintet that is taking Danish jazz boldly into the future.
McCoy Tyner Quartet: New York Reunion (Chesky Records EVSA3077M)
“Press play and prepare to be blown away” writes Charles Waring in his closing remarks in the liner notes for this 2025 re-release of New York Reunion. Often, such encouragement is no more than hyperbole, but not in this case. Waring is absolutely on the money with his summary of the music recorded by The McCoy Tyner Quartet for Chesky in April 1991. Tyner, saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Al Foster had all encountered each other at various stages in their careers, but by the time this project came together Tyner and Henderson, both in their 50s, had not played together on a recording since 1967’s The Real McCoy. Perhaps it is that sense of passing time and getting older that heightens the feeling of how special this music is, but whatever the reason, the eight tracks are in a league of their own when it comes jazz performance in quartet format.
Tyner is at ease both leading and supporting as a pianist, a skill he shared with Oscar Peterson. At times, he does sound uncannily like Peterson in his lyrical inventiveness and technical abilities on this album. Henderson, known as The Phantom for his ability to suddenly disappear without a trace, is certainly not absent throughout this set. His playing is a revelation, effortlessly inventive and intuitive. On the Thelonious Monk composition Ask Me Now, Henderson serves up a four-minute solo of intense beauty before Tyner comes in on piano with some soft chords to cushion the song and take it to the next phase of its development – a wonderful track.
With Carter and Foster working away tirelessly across the album, one is struck by just how in the moment, how easy this all sounds. Producer David Chesky is quoted as saying jazz is about discovery and being in the moment, and it is that sense of nowness, over 30 years after the session was recorded, that really stands out in New York Reunion. This quality is emphasised in the closing track Home, written specially by Tyner for the session. It is beautifully constructed, bringing the very best out of four musicians, who, after this project, were destined not to record together again as Tyner moved on to fresh challenges and never wanted to repeat himself. Perhaps this never-to-be-repeated quality also adds to the impact of this sublime album.
