1. Alap (Utsav Lal)
2. Goodwill (John Woodham)
3. Shabalgoo (Phil O’Malley)
4. Take Care of Yourself (Chris Whitehouse)
5. I’m Ready Now (Jonathan Edwards)
6. Invocation (Jay Kilbride)
7. Revengence (Alan Gonzalez Martinez)
8. Goodbye Glasgow (Utsav Lal)
9. With A You (Scott Murphy)
Jonathan Edwards (Alto/Tenor Saxophone)
Scott Murphy (Tenor Saxophone)
John Woodham (Trumpet)
Phil O’Malley (Trombone)
Alan Gonzalez Martinez (Electric Guitar)
Utsav Lal (Piano)
Jay Kilbride (Acoustic Bass)
Chris Whitehouse (Drums)
rec. 26-27 May, 2014 at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland [60:42]
The overriding feeling one is left with after hearing this disc is that Jazz is alive and well and living in Glasgow. This is the second disc presenting
students who have graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and its Jazz course under its inspirational Artistic Director Professor Dr. Tommy
Smith, himself an internationally respected saxophonist. I cannot stress too much how massively impressive this disc is with compositions you might well
believe you’ve heard before which to me is so often the mark of a really good one. These young musicians prove what a wealth of natural talent there is
around and how vital it is to nurture it and how brilliant it is that London does not have to be considered as the centre of the musical universe in
Britain. As Chairman of my local jazz club in Yorkshire I know how many wonderful musicians have emerged from the Leeds College of Music’s Jazz Course and
it is truly heartening to recognise that Glasgow can easily be put alongside it as a new fount of jazz excellence.
Utsav Lal’s Alap is a free improvisation on an Indian Raga is brilliant in its use of the piano as a representation of a sitar with the familiar
cascading of notes. It was interesting to read his explanation that the word Raga means “that which colours the mind” and the piece certainly
delivers in that respect.
Goodwill
is an extract from a piece for big band arranged for sextet and is the first of several tracks that may seem familiar. It is a really swinging little
number that showcases composer John Woodham’s undoubted prowess on trumpet whose style reminded me of Chet Baker.
It is nice to hear of young jazz students who take up the trombone and Shabalgoo shows up the talents of trombonist Phil O’Malley and which also
has some nice writing for sax.
Drummer Chris Whitehouse shows himself as a really thoughtful composer in Take Care of Yourself which has some great writing for piano and sax
while shying away from putting himself at centre stage in some frenzied drum solo.
The album’s title track I’m Ready Now by alto and tenor saxophonist Jonathan Edwards is a beautifully lyrical and mellow excursion into bossa nova
territory. His sax is mellifluous, the trumpet writing is wonderfully laid back and that for piano is an object lesson in late night jazz relaxation
therapy. The tune’s development merits its being the longest track.
Acoustic bassist Jay Kilbride’s Invocation was written after he had heard the news of the Japanese tsunami and there is a sense of Japan in it and
as with drummer Chris Whitehouse’s composition Kilbride shows he no slouch when it comes to writing for sax.
Alan Gonzalez Martinez’s Revengence opens with a tune on trumpet that one might readily believe they’d heard before. Once again the composer’s
generosity is shown in the space given to the trumpet and the track is half way through before he solos on his electric guitar. He writes that this was his
first attempt to write a jazz tune (after listening to Pat Metheny) which augurs well for future compositions because this can certainly be classed as
example of hitting the ground running. I liked his rider that he could have equally entitled it Bacon and Eggs!
Pianist Utsav Lal returns in the penultimate tune with Goodbye Glasgow a parting tribute to what he describes as “my favourite city in the world”.
It is a wonderfully expressive piece with a great central tune.
Tenor saxophonist Scott Murphy’s With a You is a hard hitting finisher and despite him writing that it is debatable as to whether I as a listener
will be whistling the tune “on the way to the shops” I can assure him I could very well do so as the core is very memorable so his aim of writing a
“singable tune” has been successful as far as I’m concerned.
9 tracks, all of them highly original, full of marvellous tunes and delivered with an infectious energy that comes from youth and which offers great
promise for the future of jazz. I thoroughly recommend all lovers of jazz to give the disc a listen, or, better still to buy it; you won’t be disappointed.
A conundrum which I’d be pleased to hear theories about: why is it that while there are so many young people who are driven to enter the world of jazz as
performers, composers or both this does not seem to be matched by a rise in young people listening to jazz, at least in clubs; oops, having posed the
question I have the first inkling of an answer but I don’t like it!
Steve Arloff
CD Reviews
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