CHRIS RAND - The Gathering: Rebound
www.lunariarecords.com
Chris Rand - sax; Nat Martin - guitar; Andrew Noble - organ; Robin Lowery - drums
Chris Rand is a sax player, originally from Dorset on the south coast of England but now based in London. A graduate from the Guildhall School of Music Rand quickly found himself recording with many of UK’s top Jazz and Blues artists. He has performed with, to name just a few; Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood, Mick Taylor, Chris Jagger, Elliot Randall, Davey Payne. He has also been part of the Bad Manners cohort, performing at festivals in the UK, Spain and Russia and a member of the Ben Waters Band for many years. He recently made his debut at Glastonbury playing with British blues band Nine Below Zero. In 2014, Chris formed The Chris Rand Quartet as a vehicle for his own compositions. He has performed at venues including Ronnie Scotts, Pizza Express Jazz Club, Boarderline, Bulls Head Jazz Club and 100 Club and at festivals including London Jazz, Camp Bestival, Larma Tree, Swanage Jazz, Colne Blues, Ealing Blues, Ray Davis’ Meltdown Festival, Chilfest and Wychwood festival.
The 'Gathering:Rebound' is his second album and is on Lunaria - a young but enterprising specialist label out of London. It is a live album, capturing the energy of the band's performance. It features an outstanding line-up of musicians who are given rein to demonstrate individuality in their creativity as well as form part of the balance of the group. They include Nathanael (Nat) Martin ( Nat Martin Band) on guitar, Andrew Noble (Derek Nash, Renato D'Aiello, Christian Brewer, Simon Spillet, Ed Jones, Toni Kofi, Wildcard and more) on organ and Robin Lowrey ( Full Whack) on drums. Given the musicians, expectations are high from the outset.
'The Stack Effect' opens the CD and is a jubilant piece set around a repeated rhythmic pattern and phrase, interrupted by sections where a solo instrument features, including some warpy guitar in an extended solo with rocky overtones from Nat Martin with a steady continuum underneath in support from the band. 'By The Leigh' is a gentle, rhythmic number with some intriguing guitar work over changing tempos in the drums sections, an extended sax solo and all the while the organ of Andrew Noble marks and supports the changes and provides level headed backing before coming out to deliver a sweet solo of its own with a bass box provides the walking background for the left hand.
'Song For Lucy' is bluesey, laid back and a soulful rendition of this balladic narrative song told not in words but in sax, organ and guitar phrases, each adding their own take. The hauntingly beautiful second sax solo is emotive and driven, clearly taking the audience along with it and here, as Chris Rand soars, is that sense of letting go - finally.
'Holiday and Herzog Jr.'s 'God Bless The Child' is given a lengthy and stylish twist in this track - almost 5 times longer than Holiday's original rendition - but here used as a vehicle on which the musicians climb, ride and solo, the majority of the lead taken by Chris Rand on sax - it is a good interpretation of the music and the number is brought up to date, whilst retaining enough of the original to be respectful. The organ solo is atmospheric and ethereal whilst the solid pounding drums ground the work and once again, the sax is delivered with style and aplomb.
'Gathering' finishes the CD and is a crashing, bluesey bop number, delivered with uncompromising fervour. There are any number of flourishes, both from Rand and the rest of the band, which make this engaging listening and a thoroughbred track of high quality.
This album is good both from the Rand compositions and cover versions point of view. There is a sense of a musician understanding not only the necessity of developing that comprehension of your own merits and playing which only come once you have truly honed the craft but also the importance of surrounding himself with musicians who are able to intuitively interpret his designs into musical pictures. Particularly in 'Gathering', you feel the confidence and rightful sense of entitlement a leader who believes in himself and not only that but can backup that belief with his playing can achieve. More to come perhaps but this is definitely a worthy recording.
Reviewed by Sammy Stein
www.lunariarecords.com
Chris Rand - sax; Nat Martin - guitar; Andrew Noble - organ; Robin Lowery - drums
Chris Rand is a sax player, originally from Dorset on the south coast of England but now based in London. A graduate from the Guildhall School of Music Rand quickly found himself recording with many of UK’s top Jazz and Blues artists. He has performed with, to name just a few; Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood, Mick Taylor, Chris Jagger, Elliot Randall, Davey Payne. He has also been part of the Bad Manners cohort, performing at festivals in the UK, Spain and Russia and a member of the Ben Waters Band for many years. He recently made his debut at Glastonbury playing with British blues band Nine Below Zero. In 2014, Chris formed The Chris Rand Quartet as a vehicle for his own compositions. He has performed at venues including Ronnie Scotts, Pizza Express Jazz Club, Boarderline, Bulls Head Jazz Club and 100 Club and at festivals including London Jazz, Camp Bestival, Larma Tree, Swanage Jazz, Colne Blues, Ealing Blues, Ray Davis’ Meltdown Festival, Chilfest and Wychwood festival.
The 'Gathering:Rebound' is his second album and is on Lunaria - a young but enterprising specialist label out of London. It is a live album, capturing the energy of the band's performance. It features an outstanding line-up of musicians who are given rein to demonstrate individuality in their creativity as well as form part of the balance of the group. They include Nathanael (Nat) Martin ( Nat Martin Band) on guitar, Andrew Noble (Derek Nash, Renato D'Aiello, Christian Brewer, Simon Spillet, Ed Jones, Toni Kofi, Wildcard and more) on organ and Robin Lowrey ( Full Whack) on drums. Given the musicians, expectations are high from the outset.
'The Stack Effect' opens the CD and is a jubilant piece set around a repeated rhythmic pattern and phrase, interrupted by sections where a solo instrument features, including some warpy guitar in an extended solo with rocky overtones from Nat Martin with a steady continuum underneath in support from the band. 'By The Leigh' is a gentle, rhythmic number with some intriguing guitar work over changing tempos in the drums sections, an extended sax solo and all the while the organ of Andrew Noble marks and supports the changes and provides level headed backing before coming out to deliver a sweet solo of its own with a bass box provides the walking background for the left hand.
'Song For Lucy' is bluesey, laid back and a soulful rendition of this balladic narrative song told not in words but in sax, organ and guitar phrases, each adding their own take. The hauntingly beautiful second sax solo is emotive and driven, clearly taking the audience along with it and here, as Chris Rand soars, is that sense of letting go - finally.
'Holiday and Herzog Jr.'s 'God Bless The Child' is given a lengthy and stylish twist in this track - almost 5 times longer than Holiday's original rendition - but here used as a vehicle on which the musicians climb, ride and solo, the majority of the lead taken by Chris Rand on sax - it is a good interpretation of the music and the number is brought up to date, whilst retaining enough of the original to be respectful. The organ solo is atmospheric and ethereal whilst the solid pounding drums ground the work and once again, the sax is delivered with style and aplomb.
'Gathering' finishes the CD and is a crashing, bluesey bop number, delivered with uncompromising fervour. There are any number of flourishes, both from Rand and the rest of the band, which make this engaging listening and a thoroughbred track of high quality.
This album is good both from the Rand compositions and cover versions point of view. There is a sense of a musician understanding not only the necessity of developing that comprehension of your own merits and playing which only come once you have truly honed the craft but also the importance of surrounding himself with musicians who are able to intuitively interpret his designs into musical pictures. Particularly in 'Gathering', you feel the confidence and rightful sense of entitlement a leader who believes in himself and not only that but can backup that belief with his playing can achieve. More to come perhaps but this is definitely a worthy recording.
Reviewed by Sammy Stein
