DOMINIC INGHAM - Role Models
available from http://www.dominicingham.com/store/rolemodelspreorder
Dominic Ingham - violin; Jonny Mansfield - vibes; David Swan - piano; Will Sach - bass; Boz Martin-Jones - drums
Dominic Ingham will be familiar to some already from his role in the much-touted contemporary fusion outfit Bonsai alongside his trombonist brother Rory and a line-up of other forward-looking young UK jazzers. Bonsai’s drummer Jonny Mansfield is here as well, in his more familiar guise as an extremely gifted vibraphonist, and the unusual frontline combo provides ample opportunity to develop an intimate chamber jazz feel. Pulling in the opposite direction, Boz Martin-Jones’ drums and Will Sachs’ bass can supply plenty of polyrhythmic heft to keep things moving briskly forwards, so that the title track swaps seamlessly between contemplative and urgent moods. Ingham’s own violin is a supple and precise voice, full of artful slurs and vocalisations. ‘Fall’ has an elegiac feel with a wordless vocal doubling the pentatonic melody - with a nocturnal vibes solo alongside the violin we’re gently entering undiscovered folk/jazz/rock/fusion territory - while ‘Phones’ bounces briskly along over a springy carpet of rhythm and Ingham’s violin soars above. Young Scottish pianist David Swan impresses with his fluency and accurate articulation - his intro to ‘Phones’ is a miniature gem - and Sachs and Martin-Jones have more than enough hip rhythmic tricks up their sleeves to give this a contemporary feel - check the artful intro to ‘Pj’s’ leading into Sach’s hip bass solo, and the skein of offbeats underpinning ‘Daydreaming’. ‘Bottles’ is an amazing display of high-wire elegance over endlessly shifting ground. This recording a unique personality: there’s a coherent original sound with an accessible fusion feel but none of the overwrought airlessness of fusion - everyone leaves plenty of space in all the right places and there’s a real focus on melody that makes this a joy to listen to.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
available from http://www.dominicingham.com/store/rolemodelspreorder
Dominic Ingham - violin; Jonny Mansfield - vibes; David Swan - piano; Will Sach - bass; Boz Martin-Jones - drums
Dominic Ingham will be familiar to some already from his role in the much-touted contemporary fusion outfit Bonsai alongside his trombonist brother Rory and a line-up of other forward-looking young UK jazzers. Bonsai’s drummer Jonny Mansfield is here as well, in his more familiar guise as an extremely gifted vibraphonist, and the unusual frontline combo provides ample opportunity to develop an intimate chamber jazz feel. Pulling in the opposite direction, Boz Martin-Jones’ drums and Will Sachs’ bass can supply plenty of polyrhythmic heft to keep things moving briskly forwards, so that the title track swaps seamlessly between contemplative and urgent moods. Ingham’s own violin is a supple and precise voice, full of artful slurs and vocalisations. ‘Fall’ has an elegiac feel with a wordless vocal doubling the pentatonic melody - with a nocturnal vibes solo alongside the violin we’re gently entering undiscovered folk/jazz/rock/fusion territory - while ‘Phones’ bounces briskly along over a springy carpet of rhythm and Ingham’s violin soars above. Young Scottish pianist David Swan impresses with his fluency and accurate articulation - his intro to ‘Phones’ is a miniature gem - and Sachs and Martin-Jones have more than enough hip rhythmic tricks up their sleeves to give this a contemporary feel - check the artful intro to ‘Pj’s’ leading into Sach’s hip bass solo, and the skein of offbeats underpinning ‘Daydreaming’. ‘Bottles’ is an amazing display of high-wire elegance over endlessly shifting ground. This recording a unique personality: there’s a coherent original sound with an accessible fusion feel but none of the overwrought airlessness of fusion - everyone leaves plenty of space in all the right places and there’s a real focus on melody that makes this a joy to listen to.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
