GEOFF MASON QUARTET - GMQ
Self Release
www.geoffmasonjazz.co.uk
Geoff Mason-Trombone, John Horler-Piano, Adam King-Bass and Winston Clifford-Drums
Geoff Mason has lead a very interesting life (musically) he was born in North London, studied Trombone at the London College of Music, then joined the Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards, with whom he toured the world. Since leaving the Army, his- free lance career has taken him from Cruise Ships via 'The Rack Pack Show' to playing on a Jamie Oliver advert! You don't see many CVs with Coldstream Guards and Jamie Oliver as previous employers. Geoff is active in various formats including one with Tubby Hayes polymath Simon Spillett and pianist John Horler and also the RMG Collective with drummer Winston Clifford.
This CD was produced and engineered by no less a man than Dave O'Higgins and Geoff is fortunate to number the great Mark Nightingale among his many supporters.
The CD gives us 40+ minutes of Geoff's interpretations of seven compositions by some of the giants of modern jazz, tunes that you would not at first associate with the trombone. We get amongst others, John Coltrane's 26-2, Herbie Hancock's Tell Me a Bedtime Story and Thelonious Monk's difficult masterpiece Trinkle Tinkle. Geoff is ably backed by the members of his quartet who are given space to improvise and solo. I gather that the players recorded most of the tracks in first or second takes, a tribute to the empathy between them.
All in all, a treat and one I shall return to regularly.
Reviewed by Clive Fleckner
Self Release
www.geoffmasonjazz.co.uk
Geoff Mason-Trombone, John Horler-Piano, Adam King-Bass and Winston Clifford-Drums
Geoff Mason has lead a very interesting life (musically) he was born in North London, studied Trombone at the London College of Music, then joined the Regimental Band of the Coldstream Guards, with whom he toured the world. Since leaving the Army, his- free lance career has taken him from Cruise Ships via 'The Rack Pack Show' to playing on a Jamie Oliver advert! You don't see many CVs with Coldstream Guards and Jamie Oliver as previous employers. Geoff is active in various formats including one with Tubby Hayes polymath Simon Spillett and pianist John Horler and also the RMG Collective with drummer Winston Clifford.
This CD was produced and engineered by no less a man than Dave O'Higgins and Geoff is fortunate to number the great Mark Nightingale among his many supporters.
The CD gives us 40+ minutes of Geoff's interpretations of seven compositions by some of the giants of modern jazz, tunes that you would not at first associate with the trombone. We get amongst others, John Coltrane's 26-2, Herbie Hancock's Tell Me a Bedtime Story and Thelonious Monk's difficult masterpiece Trinkle Tinkle. Geoff is ably backed by the members of his quartet who are given space to improvise and solo. I gather that the players recorded most of the tracks in first or second takes, a tribute to the empathy between them.
All in all, a treat and one I shall return to regularly.
Reviewed by Clive Fleckner
