EDDY MYER 5TET - Finders Keepers
Self Release
https://eddiemyer5tet.bandcamp.com/album/finders-keepers
Riley Stone-Lonergan (tenor saxophone); Luke Rattenbury (guitar); Mark Edwards (Fender Rhodes); Tristan Banks (drums); Eddie Myer (bass)
Many will be familiar with bassist, Eddie Myer through his work with the band Turin Breaks with whom he has toured and recorded since 1999, and it is possible that his pedigree as a top notch jazz bassist could easily be overlooked. This would be a real shame, as in an increasingly competitive market for CD sales via online outlets or downloads this is an independently produced, self released album that stands out from the crowd not by shouting loudly, but simply by producing great jazz that deserves to be heard.
Myer and his associates take as their starting point the classic quintet format and sound, but somehow refuse to be confined by any such limits that this may seemingly impose and deliver a finely balanced set that is full of memorable themes and inventive playing. In a programme that is full of surprises, the Fender Rhodes is featured throughout, and rather than conjure up memories of an earlier era, sounds fresh and totally contemporary giving the set a bright and uplifting feel from the word go. For this full credit must go to Mark Edwards whose solos are highly inventive and have a joyful air that is ideally suited to the ringing sound of the electric piano. What is also readily apparent is the way in which the Rhodes blends so well with the guitar of Luke Rattenbury whether they are both supporting the frontline horn of Stone-Lonergan or whether Edwards is comping behind Rattenbury's own lyrical solos.
And talking of the saxophonist, Riley Stone-Lonergan is another great discovery. Each time he steps up to solo he has something interesting to say, and does so with an assurance that is utterly compelling. If at time the influence of (mid-period) John Coltrane is discernible, the overriding sense is that of a young Sonny Rollins as he largely avoids any cliches in his phrases and often throws a curve ball in the way his melodic lines unfurl, all with a superb sound and great sense of drama in his use of dynamics. Through all this Myer and drummer, Tristan Banks, keep things nailed down. The rhythmic support is solid and adventurous, never obtrusive but never allowing the mood of the composition to be lost in the solos and a rush of adrenelin.
If I have not picked out individual tracks to mention, this is because the album hangs together so well as a whole, and that is how it should be heard from beginning to end. Sure the title track gets things off to a bright and swinging start, and the ballad feature, 'The Great Level War' is as lyrical as it is tastefully interpreted by all, but this is a just a small part of what makes this album such a delight, and a great way to start the New Year.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
Self Release
https://eddiemyer5tet.bandcamp.com/album/finders-keepers
Riley Stone-Lonergan (tenor saxophone); Luke Rattenbury (guitar); Mark Edwards (Fender Rhodes); Tristan Banks (drums); Eddie Myer (bass)
Many will be familiar with bassist, Eddie Myer through his work with the band Turin Breaks with whom he has toured and recorded since 1999, and it is possible that his pedigree as a top notch jazz bassist could easily be overlooked. This would be a real shame, as in an increasingly competitive market for CD sales via online outlets or downloads this is an independently produced, self released album that stands out from the crowd not by shouting loudly, but simply by producing great jazz that deserves to be heard.
Myer and his associates take as their starting point the classic quintet format and sound, but somehow refuse to be confined by any such limits that this may seemingly impose and deliver a finely balanced set that is full of memorable themes and inventive playing. In a programme that is full of surprises, the Fender Rhodes is featured throughout, and rather than conjure up memories of an earlier era, sounds fresh and totally contemporary giving the set a bright and uplifting feel from the word go. For this full credit must go to Mark Edwards whose solos are highly inventive and have a joyful air that is ideally suited to the ringing sound of the electric piano. What is also readily apparent is the way in which the Rhodes blends so well with the guitar of Luke Rattenbury whether they are both supporting the frontline horn of Stone-Lonergan or whether Edwards is comping behind Rattenbury's own lyrical solos.
And talking of the saxophonist, Riley Stone-Lonergan is another great discovery. Each time he steps up to solo he has something interesting to say, and does so with an assurance that is utterly compelling. If at time the influence of (mid-period) John Coltrane is discernible, the overriding sense is that of a young Sonny Rollins as he largely avoids any cliches in his phrases and often throws a curve ball in the way his melodic lines unfurl, all with a superb sound and great sense of drama in his use of dynamics. Through all this Myer and drummer, Tristan Banks, keep things nailed down. The rhythmic support is solid and adventurous, never obtrusive but never allowing the mood of the composition to be lost in the solos and a rush of adrenelin.
If I have not picked out individual tracks to mention, this is because the album hangs together so well as a whole, and that is how it should be heard from beginning to end. Sure the title track gets things off to a bright and swinging start, and the ballad feature, 'The Great Level War' is as lyrical as it is tastefully interpreted by all, but this is a just a small part of what makes this album such a delight, and a great way to start the New Year.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
