BENJAMIN CROFT - 10 Reasons To...
33Jazz Records 33JAZZ275
Benjamin Croft - keysboards; ; Benet McLean - violin; Andy Davies - trumpet & flugelhorn; Henry Thomas - bass; Mario Castronari - bass; Tristan Maillot - drums; Saleem Raman - drums;
Peter Miles - voice
Benjamin Croft is part of that particularly London tradition of musicians equally at home in a Soho nightclub playing jazz, in the pit of a West End show, or in a TV studio at Union rates - sadly something of a rarity nowadays, this breed commonly combined a genre-crossing virtuosity, an interest in music technology, and the quirky sense of humour required to survive in this exacting milieu. Croft displays all these qualities in this unusual, engaging and highly accomplished release, presenting a take on fusion that harks back to the ‘anything goes’ spirit of the late 70s and 80s. ‘100 Years At Sea’ starts with a nautical theme (Croft has worked on the ships) and a rendition of Poe’s ‘City In The Sea’ by the late Peter Miles, evoking a particular kind of Britishness as manifested by such deathless cultural artefacts as Dr Who or Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds; the following track, rich with vintage keyboard textures and Benet McLean’s soaring violin over jazz-rock rhythms, would delight fans of the kind of esoteric sophisticated euro-fusion pioneered by Jean-Luc Ponty, the later editions of Gong, or Allan Holdsworth (to whom the closing track is dedicated). Frontline duties are shared between Mclean and the clear-toned Andy Davies on trumpet, the former demonstrating his unmistakeable voice alongside some sly Coltrane quotes on ‘The Sycophant’ the latter showing his bebop chops on the swinging ‘The Whispering Knight’. Alongside Holdsworth, there are tributes to prog mainman Keith Emerson, Gustav Mahler, and Christopher Lee; a diverse group who make sense together within the context of Croft’s progressive but retro vision. “Inside Immortality’ and ‘See You In Another Lifetime’ are treats for vintage keyboard fans; the rhythm sections are supple and sophisticated throughout; the compositions are complex and atmospheric and stay just the right side on bombast to be thoroughly enjoyable. The album closes with a poignant send-off from Miles, reading Dylan Thomas’ And Death Shall Have No Dominion in what was to be his last recorded performance.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
33Jazz Records 33JAZZ275
Benjamin Croft - keysboards; ; Benet McLean - violin; Andy Davies - trumpet & flugelhorn; Henry Thomas - bass; Mario Castronari - bass; Tristan Maillot - drums; Saleem Raman - drums;
Peter Miles - voice
Benjamin Croft is part of that particularly London tradition of musicians equally at home in a Soho nightclub playing jazz, in the pit of a West End show, or in a TV studio at Union rates - sadly something of a rarity nowadays, this breed commonly combined a genre-crossing virtuosity, an interest in music technology, and the quirky sense of humour required to survive in this exacting milieu. Croft displays all these qualities in this unusual, engaging and highly accomplished release, presenting a take on fusion that harks back to the ‘anything goes’ spirit of the late 70s and 80s. ‘100 Years At Sea’ starts with a nautical theme (Croft has worked on the ships) and a rendition of Poe’s ‘City In The Sea’ by the late Peter Miles, evoking a particular kind of Britishness as manifested by such deathless cultural artefacts as Dr Who or Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds; the following track, rich with vintage keyboard textures and Benet McLean’s soaring violin over jazz-rock rhythms, would delight fans of the kind of esoteric sophisticated euro-fusion pioneered by Jean-Luc Ponty, the later editions of Gong, or Allan Holdsworth (to whom the closing track is dedicated). Frontline duties are shared between Mclean and the clear-toned Andy Davies on trumpet, the former demonstrating his unmistakeable voice alongside some sly Coltrane quotes on ‘The Sycophant’ the latter showing his bebop chops on the swinging ‘The Whispering Knight’. Alongside Holdsworth, there are tributes to prog mainman Keith Emerson, Gustav Mahler, and Christopher Lee; a diverse group who make sense together within the context of Croft’s progressive but retro vision. “Inside Immortality’ and ‘See You In Another Lifetime’ are treats for vintage keyboard fans; the rhythm sections are supple and sophisticated throughout; the compositions are complex and atmospheric and stay just the right side on bombast to be thoroughly enjoyable. The album closes with a poignant send-off from Miles, reading Dylan Thomas’ And Death Shall Have No Dominion in what was to be his last recorded performance.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
