Eddie Parker: Airborn
It’s over 40 years since groundbreaking British big band Loose Tubes released their eponymous debut LP on their own label. The band helped launch the careers of some notable players including Django Bates, Julian Argüelles and John Parricelli. Eddie Parker, who has kept a relatively low profile since the band’s break-up in 1990, was an omnipresent member of the Tubes. Parker’s last release as leader was Everything You Do To Me (FMR, 1996) but he also played on three albums recorded by the revived Loose Tubes between 2010 and 2015 and worked in the 1990s with South African multi-instrumentalist Bheki Mseleku. He’s also a member of the Will Gregory Moog Ensemble.
Airborn, featuring guitarist Rob Luft, marks Parker’s welcome return. Coincidentally, the 21-year-old Luft memorably depped for Parricelli for a few nights during the Loose Tubes reunion gigs at Ronnie’s in 2014. Luft’s career trajectory has taken in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, a degree from the Royal Academy of Music, eight albums released as leader or co-leader and appearances on albums by John Surman, Laura Jurd and Liane Carroll. It’s not surprising, with such a profile, that he was instrumentalist of the year in the 2025 UK Parliamentary Jazz Awards, or that he’s credited in this record’s full title, “Eddie Parker’s Airborn With Rob Luft”.
The soundscapey Prelude, dominated by Parker’s baroque flute, is followed by Airborn 1, Luft’s soaring guitar notes opening proceedings. A short foray by Parker, now on keyboard, is followed by more stunning work from Luft. After the very short Interlude – Sextet, achieved by seamless multi-tracking, Airborn 2 encapsulates the quartet’s perfect symbiotic relationship, Dave Mannington here soloing on warm pizzicato bass. Airborn 3, with its subtle funky groove, is nostalgically reminiscent of Loose Tubes. The second Interlude – a fraction over two minutes duration – is a quartet piece that underpins Parker’s shimmering flute. The mood changes dramatically with the swinging Rock Latin; as its title suggests, it has a Chick Corea/Return To Forever feel. The short Interlude – Duo with Parker on flute and Luft on 12-string guitar precedes the lyrical To Plant A Tree, featuring Luft’s deft guitar and Parker on piano, evoking a memorable lissomness throughout.
The quirky, eccentrically metered Wonky Clockwork presents an opportunity for Jay Davis to display his percussive skills. A steady drumbeat emphasising the funereal, moving quality of Cortège fades into a perkier Airborn 5 featuring Luft followed by Interlude – Solo, Parker’s 40- second ruminative piano foray. The set closes with a sprightly Oke Quixote, Parker’s homage to his hero, the late Kenny Wheeler, the title of which tangentially references two of the trumpeter’s compositions. Airborn is a fine album, replete with frequently mesmeric and compelling tunes.
Discography
Prelude; Airborn 1; Interlude: Sextet; Airborn 2; Airborn 3; Interlude: Quartet; Rock Latin; Interlude: Duo; To Plant A Tree; Wonky Clockwork; Cortège; Airborn 5; Interlude: Solo; Oke Quixote (66.07)
Parker (f, kyb, p); Luft (elg, g); Dave Mannington (b); Jay Davis (d). London, December 2025.
Pig Records PIG22
Martin Iaies: People, Places. Music For Large Ensemble
People, Places is the third album released by Austria-born, Vienna-domiciled guitarist Martin Iaies. His first two recordings, Rewind & FF (El Club del Disco, 2018) and New Beginnings (Ears and Eyes Records, 2023), were quartet outings, the latter featuring British saxophonist and former Loose Tuber Julian Argüelles. Iaies also formed a chamber quartet comprising guitar, clarinet, cello and trombone. This quartet, born out of his composition Cyclical Loss Of Hope, won first prize in the Alwin-Fill-Förderpreis: Musik für den Frieden, a competition focused on exploring the relationship between music and linguistics. Coincidentally, this piece is also featured on People, Places as the closing track on the album, where guest artist Klaus Gesing contributes wistful soprano saxophone to this unalloyed piece of chamber jazz. The penultimate number, Canción De Cuna Para Simon, is again a chamber-jazz composition, so in effect the last two tracks on the album could be considered outliers that reflect Iaies interest in this medium that almost borders on Miles Davis’s Birth Of The Cool (Capitol, 1957) in its lushness of tonal colour.
German-born Gesing, best known for his collaborations with British vocalist Norma Winstone, also solos on soprano on the elegant Zamba Del Chaguanco composed by Hilda Herrera and arranged by Martin Iaies, the only track not composed by Iaies. Gesing is later heard on bass clarinet on the sultry In An Unknown Mood. Iaies doesn’t hog the soloing but where he is heard, on tunes such as the swinging El Donny, his contributions are lithe and subtle. Delfina’s Way provides another good example of Iaies’ guitar work, his solo containing some bluesy muscularity. An example of Iaies’ playing and compositional skills can be viewed on YouTube, where his 11tet plays Graz live at Stockwerk in Graz, Austria, recorded in March 2024.
Discography
(1) Graz; Delfina’s Way; (2) Zamba Del Chaguanco; (1) 18/5; El Donny; (2) In An Unknown Mood; (1) Canción De Cuna Para Simon; (2) Cyclical Loss Of Hope (55.35)
(1) Iaies (elg); Alana Macpherson (as, ss, f); Tobias Hoffmann (as, ss, cl); Miloš Kostár (ts, cl); Anna Gollien (bar, bcl); Zan Cesar, Jordi Roviró (t, flh); Matthias Bernsteiner (tb); Thomas Quendler (p); Ariel Vei Atanasovski (clo); Maximilian Kreuzer (b); Andreas Reisenhofer (d). (2) add Klaus Gesing (ss, bcl). Graz, Austria, 21-23 February, 2025.
Challenge Records CR73631
Frode Kjekstad: Stars Aligned
There’s a fair bit of variety in this lively quartet outing oscillating between full-on helter-skelter to straightforward fast blues and a couple of laid-back ballads such as the elegant Moon Song where Norwegian guitarist Frode Kjekstad channels the likes of Pat Martino. Foggy Morning In The Woods, another plaintive ballad, sees Kiekstad teasing out lustrous notes and tenorist Eric Alexander proving he can balance his fiery sax work with graceful sensitivity. Jingles with its call and answer arrangement is as breezy as imaginable with overtones of George Benson at his most dextrous.
The line-up for this rewarding date is truly international. American saxophonist Alexander has played with Harold Mabern, Ron Carter, Kenny Barron and many others. Organist Roy Powell, who hails from England’s midlands, has collaborated with Arild Andersen, Art Farmer and Dave Liebman. To complete the 4tet, German drummer Frederik Villmow has performed with Chris Potter and Vince Mendoza to name just a few. Kjekstad has released a clutch of albums under his own name including his acclaimed sophomore release New York Time (Curling Legs, 2004) sporting no less a sideman than Dr Lonnie Smith on Hammond B3. Most of the tunes reflect their titles such as The Phineas Trane with its Giant Steps-paced hook. As with the self-explanatory Blues4u, Stars Aligned is another pacy blues. Bonebreaker is an out and out swinging foot-tapper as is the punningly titled Hammond Cheese with its Horace Silver feel. There’s even a brisk jazz waltz in the shape of Open Ocean. So, there’s something for everyone here and with four virtuosi contributing there’s no filler and an invitation to multiple replays.
Discography
The Phineas Trane; Open Ocean; Blues4u; Bonebreaker; Moon Song; Stars Aligned; Hammond Cheese; Foggy Morning In The Woods; Jingles (53.36)
Kjekstad (elg); Eric Alexander (ts); Roy Powell (org); Frederik Villmow (d). Sandvika, Norway, 26 January 2025.
Losen Records LOS 327-2