Solomon Gundy Band: Hancestry
An album that immediately announces its cultural and musical colours, Hancestry offers a vibrant experience. Led by veteran trumpeter Sean Corby, the group features a plethora of voices to create dynamic music. The Afro, soul and jazz electronica atmospheres are both contemporary and retro, looking back to earlier black artists who paved the way for funkier and more adventurous music.
The title track starts off with a groovy energy. It recalls the moods struck by groups like The Comet Is Coming and Sons Of Kemet. An earthy tone plays tag with an astro-jazz one, as seen in tracks such as Sparky’s Lament. Corby heads the ensemble but with a laissez-faire hand. He allows for mesmerising moments of harmony and discord which naturally come when artists are free to move around a sonic space, more at ease with shifting over and layering atop one another. Divine Days and Drum Song For Chino diverge from the merely rhythmic or funky. They clatter and rumble against traditional standards of beauty. But the “mess” reveals hidden gems of self-discovery and of substance worth waiting for.
The record pays tribute to a variety of legendary artists such as James Baldwin, Leo Forrest, etc. These references are more sometimes more personal than literal; one can’t really musically reference a writer who never composed a tune. However, one can be inspired by a writer like Zora Neale Hurston and make music which rises up from that embrace with art and creativity. Williams has given the world an exciting and sophisticated work which doesn’t simply try to cater to normal audiences. He’s also interested in spreading his wings and in making his own blend – one that is certainly worthy of admiration and a wide listenership.
Discography
Hancestry (For Zora Neale Hurston); Divine Days (For Leon Forrest); Sparky’s Lament; Duke Of Da Bronx; Drum Song For Chino; Choose To Be (For James Baldwin); Wadada (For Leo Smith & The People Of Grenfell); Seasons; Jazz Interlude/Solomon A Dub (43.53)
Sean Corby (t); Courtney Pine (ts); Sultan Stevenson (p); Julie Dexter, Drew Gonsalves (v); Daniel Crosby, Andy Edwards (d); Simon Edwards, Will Alman, Ygor Azevedo (b); Sam Campana, Jim Le Mesurier (cga/bata); Phil Dawson, Martin Chung, Chris Dawkins (g); Jonathan Enright (tb); George King, Andrew C Young (kyb). England, date unknown, c. 2026.
Dundus Records
Espen Eriksen Trio: Almost There
For almost two decades the Espen Eriksen trio has made music that is easy to enjoy. Eriksen leads on piano, supported by Lars Tormod Jenset on double bass and Andreas Bye on drums. With a wealth of material between them, Almost There only adds to their catalogue of high musical quality.
Though a trio can sound hollow with certain types of tunes, the team here keeps a brumous Nordic sound matched by an intimacy with its audience to provide an intimate collaboration. From the title track which begins the project to closing The Atlantic, the pieces arrive with a delicate presence yet still retain an emotional pull and a sturdy force of sustained playing. Winter Is Coming moves with agile exchanges. It begins with bass, in a more minimal atmosphere and then charges on, the piano blooming near the end.
Overall, the group has a reflective tone. Another Day is a contemplative composition which is unhurried. It winds its way through the instruments, and it highlights not only the team’s cohesion, but its soloing efforts as well. As with Vince Guaraldi, the trio is easily accessible to a variety of music listeners. Now, this trio doesn’t sound like Guaraldi, but the laid-back quality to the unfurling of the tune is similar.
Where many of Eriksen’s European jazz contemporaries seem more interested in free styling and exploring soundscapes, this group keeps to a more grounded approach. They have some lovely moments, as in A Dream In Black And White, as well as elsewhere. It almost seems neo-romantic at times, matched with a minimalism which isn’t bare or bereft of emotion or layers. Almost There deserves a thoughtful listen; the team works hard and serves up some beautiful songs.
Discography
Almost There; Sepia Sky; Winter Is Coming; Fleeting Nights; Another Day; Ancient Rituals; A Dream In Black And White; The Atlantic (35.46)
Eriksen (p); Lars Tormod Jenset (b); Andreas Bye (d). Oslo, Norway.
Rune Grammofon
James Gordon Williams: Falling To Rise Again
Keyboardist James Gordon Williams is relaxed and confident on Falling To Rise Again. He and his team of talented players glide by with a variety of moods, some slower, some happy and celebratory. A vague world-music-meets-jazz-fusion sound appears as the project unwinds. Williams is careful with his instrument selection, and he doesn’t throw everything in all at once. There are many layers which augment and diminish from piece to piece.
Prayer might come second in the track list, but it begins by spotlighting Williams’ gorgeous playing. His technique is svelte and assured. He isn’t fancy in that jazzy, chaotic sense, showing off unnecessarily. Instead, he allows the music to unfold and envelope the listener. Saxophone further brings out the melody as the other musicians superbly support it.
The guitar, played by Matthew Stevens, shines on many of the tracks. It creates a smooth, Pat Metheny atmosphere without directly paying homage to that great legend. Rather, Stevens’s tone is reminiscent of that slightly groovy style of performance. On tracks like Cuse Cue Blues, it swirls around the bass, piano and percussion, adding just the right amount of colour.
Really, it is this cohesion which makes the album sound fresh. There is a vibrant air about the tunes. Williams somehow makes all the tracks blend so well with one another while resisting the trap of becoming monotonous or sonically repetitive. Comparing this to Williams’ 2004 Unrepeatable Life release, one clearly notes the growth of a talented musician who has discovered a style which allows him to fully express himself. That earlier work is much more traditional in tone. Falling To Rise Again serves as a reminder that where we start might not be where we end up, and that’s just mighty fine.
Discography
Yemoja (Water Spirit Meditation); Prayer; Cuse Cue Blues; Falling To Rise Again; Turning The Tide; Incurable Romantic; Philadelphia Morning; Sebastian (54.40)
Williams (p, Rhodes); Matthew Stevens (g); Morgan Guerin (b, ts); Terri Lyne Carrington (d); Daniel Sadownick (pc). Wellspring Sound Studio, Acton, MA. 2-3 January 2024.
Mubuntusic Records
