SEAMUS BLAKE - Guardians Of The Heart Machine
Whirlwind WR4375
Seamus Blake - sax & vocals; Tony Tixier - piano; Florent Nisse - bass; Gautier Garrigue - drums
This exciting release pairs sax supremo Blake with a trio of younger French players at the instigation of mutual friend Olivier Saez with a programme of original compositions. Things get off with a bang on the title track, a muscular, anthemic piece of contemporary jazz over a skipping mix of 6/8 and 5/8 rhythms. The old stereotype of rumbustious americans versus restrained europeans is blown away, not least by Garrigue’s explosive drumming, as the band match Blake’s dynamism. The saxophonist himself is on top form throughout, showing the dazzlingly complete technique, passionate delivery and unique grasp of harmony that’s made his influence so audible in a generation of younger players. ‘Vaporbabe’ has a quiet simmer, like an acoustic Weather Report track; ‘Sneaky D’ has a broken-beat funk to its complex rhythm arrangement and a melody that prowls around the groove before settling into a straight, hummable theme - Texier breaks out his box of Herbie Hancock-isms to satisfying effect. ‘Latona’ and ‘Wandering Aengus’ (named for WB Yeats) up the stakes in sophisticated complexity, the former showcasing Blake’s prodigious ability in the upper register, the latter giving Nisse a well-deserved solo feature. ‘Blues For The Real Human Beings’ is a memorable, Shorter-esque theme by the excellent Texier, whose own release was reviewed here in 2018, with Blake absolutely burning over the top.
The album closes with an unexpected vocal from Blake on ‘The Blasted Heath’ that wouldn’t be out of place on a Radiohead album. While the US tradition is acknowledged through the inclusion of a contrafact the hard-bop warhorse ‘Along Came Betty’, there’s a lyrical European sensibility that has permeated Blake’s writing; the band and the leader are a great match both in ability and concept, making this a really fresh sounding release to add to the master’s impressive catalogue.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Whirlwind WR4375
Seamus Blake - sax & vocals; Tony Tixier - piano; Florent Nisse - bass; Gautier Garrigue - drums
This exciting release pairs sax supremo Blake with a trio of younger French players at the instigation of mutual friend Olivier Saez with a programme of original compositions. Things get off with a bang on the title track, a muscular, anthemic piece of contemporary jazz over a skipping mix of 6/8 and 5/8 rhythms. The old stereotype of rumbustious americans versus restrained europeans is blown away, not least by Garrigue’s explosive drumming, as the band match Blake’s dynamism. The saxophonist himself is on top form throughout, showing the dazzlingly complete technique, passionate delivery and unique grasp of harmony that’s made his influence so audible in a generation of younger players. ‘Vaporbabe’ has a quiet simmer, like an acoustic Weather Report track; ‘Sneaky D’ has a broken-beat funk to its complex rhythm arrangement and a melody that prowls around the groove before settling into a straight, hummable theme - Texier breaks out his box of Herbie Hancock-isms to satisfying effect. ‘Latona’ and ‘Wandering Aengus’ (named for WB Yeats) up the stakes in sophisticated complexity, the former showcasing Blake’s prodigious ability in the upper register, the latter giving Nisse a well-deserved solo feature. ‘Blues For The Real Human Beings’ is a memorable, Shorter-esque theme by the excellent Texier, whose own release was reviewed here in 2018, with Blake absolutely burning over the top.
The album closes with an unexpected vocal from Blake on ‘The Blasted Heath’ that wouldn’t be out of place on a Radiohead album. While the US tradition is acknowledged through the inclusion of a contrafact the hard-bop warhorse ‘Along Came Betty’, there’s a lyrical European sensibility that has permeated Blake’s writing; the band and the leader are a great match both in ability and concept, making this a really fresh sounding release to add to the master’s impressive catalogue.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
