STEPHEN GODSALL - Atlantic Skies
Stephen Godsall - composer, producer, arranger guitar,bass, organ, ukelele, guitar synth, drums, banjo, keyboard; Sarah Bolter - flute, bass clarinet; Angharad Miller - trumpet; Andrew Godsall- drums; Natalie David - vocals; Ian Ellis - tenor sax; Anita Somner - flute; Hilary Tratt - vocals; Alison Baverstock - vocals; Sarah Harris - vocals; Jimi Hendrix - sampled vocals
Stephen Godsall is an English composer/multi-instrumentalist. His music crosses jazz, classical and experimental rock with deep British roots. He plays in three bands , programmes a local venue and produces jazz and folk artists. His new album ' Atlantic Skies' ( Bandcamp) is a mix of sounds, style and atmospheres, reflecting the diverse musical landscape which this musician inhabits. In 2020 he challenged himself to create a track each week and release them with a short film on youtube; "Atlantic Skies" brings together selected pieces from that project.
The opening track is 'More than Jazz' and is an uplifting, up-tempo number with some great vocals from Natalie David and the lyrics about jazz being music of mystery and unfolding stories are worth a close listen. The rich, swingy support is a delight with beautiful resonating depths provided by bass clarinet and gorgeous harmonics. In particular, the sax is inventive, and there is one part where it takes off on crazy scale ascensions whilst the vocals remain soft, tight and note-perfect, creating a wonderful contrast. The number is well named - much more than jazz.
'West Pennine Breakdown' is a chimaera of improvised sounding phrases and well-worked motifs and develops several sections including a reggae rhythm part and a guitar solo. Every time a solo enters, it is taken over by another instrument in a continuing swap and re-take making for slight disjointedness on the ears, but it also works from a disjointed yet harmonically linked perspective - and it has another gorgeous extended solo form the sax which is joined by the ensemble to close.
'Mental' is a well-worked song about how hormonal influences affect people and their behaviour. The pithy vocals are harmonious, and this is an enjoyable track with an outstanding guitar interlude.
'Atlantic Skies' is a beautiful guitar-led exploration of harmonies and single phrased lines. A lyrical, painted landscape comes into vision as the guitars weave different lines and work up, down and together. A track to kick back, listen deeply and relax to.
'15 Things To Do With a Cheap Ukelele' is fun and shows just what you can do in musical imitations and workings. There is a charming Latin feel to this track, and the walking gait of the rhythmic patterns behind the main part add a sense of fun. 'Used To Be A Singer' by way of contrast is melancholic and tells the tale of a singer who lost her voice - which is a contradiction because the singer here , Alison Baverstock, has a gorgeous, rich-toned vocal range. The truth of the number reveals itself as it becomes clear the voice was lost when love faded. Sad, poignant and gentle. There is a soft flute playing in the latter half, which adds further pathos.
'Edge Of The Wilderness' is an ensemble composition with guitar setting the theme further developed by the trombone, and then goes back to the guitar. All the while in the background, keep an ear for the arrangements because there is a lot more going on for the other instruments.
'Jimi Hendrix, Gig Economist' is guitar warps and riffs over vocals that discuss the money involved in arranging tours and other areas of music. An interesting excursion whilst ' The Waves' is a gentle number with flute soaring over gentle guitar And soar the flute does, creating uplifting circles of sound over steadfast, supportive guitar. 'Hell's Cauldron' is an impressive track with electronic, rocky sounds, guitars climbing out of the ether and a percussive line which trips and changes at different sections. ' Best Time, Best Place' is a traditionally arranged number for voice and guitar with a light, tricky percussive line in the background which adds support and textures. The sax adds its voice, and the track is inordinately enjoyable.
'Fantasia On A Theme Of Ralph Vaughan Williams' is a wonderful, well-arranged piece with strings setting the chordal line while the guitar sings across the top. It rises and falls, creating a dynamic landscape into which the guitar drops and falls away with flute and other instruments adding their voice and layers.
'White Water' is a rocky, swingy number with a five-note phrase worked and re-worked, becoming many notes on the guitar as it develops and some interesting vocal lines interspersed at points. 'Fuzzy Logic is a bluesy, laid back number with great sax and vocals, whilst 'Cordoba' is a beautifully uplifting Mediterranean feeling number with some quite exquisite rhythm changes. 'Deciduous' is gentle, soft and the theme set up by the sax is filled out and developed by the rest of the ensemble. ' Wild Weekend' is gorgeous with great vocals over tight, bluesy support and 'A Dorset' Hornpipe' which closes the album is probably one of the best hornpipe arrangements you will hear.
What is striking about this album is the variety of the themes, influences and styles. There are many tracks to listen to and each one serves up a course that differs from the next and the preceding one, and together, the album has cohesion and wholeness which makes it feel complete.
Reviewed by Sammy Stein
Stephen Godsall - composer, producer, arranger guitar,bass, organ, ukelele, guitar synth, drums, banjo, keyboard; Sarah Bolter - flute, bass clarinet; Angharad Miller - trumpet; Andrew Godsall- drums; Natalie David - vocals; Ian Ellis - tenor sax; Anita Somner - flute; Hilary Tratt - vocals; Alison Baverstock - vocals; Sarah Harris - vocals; Jimi Hendrix - sampled vocals
Stephen Godsall is an English composer/multi-instrumentalist. His music crosses jazz, classical and experimental rock with deep British roots. He plays in three bands , programmes a local venue and produces jazz and folk artists. His new album ' Atlantic Skies' ( Bandcamp) is a mix of sounds, style and atmospheres, reflecting the diverse musical landscape which this musician inhabits. In 2020 he challenged himself to create a track each week and release them with a short film on youtube; "Atlantic Skies" brings together selected pieces from that project.
The opening track is 'More than Jazz' and is an uplifting, up-tempo number with some great vocals from Natalie David and the lyrics about jazz being music of mystery and unfolding stories are worth a close listen. The rich, swingy support is a delight with beautiful resonating depths provided by bass clarinet and gorgeous harmonics. In particular, the sax is inventive, and there is one part where it takes off on crazy scale ascensions whilst the vocals remain soft, tight and note-perfect, creating a wonderful contrast. The number is well named - much more than jazz.
'West Pennine Breakdown' is a chimaera of improvised sounding phrases and well-worked motifs and develops several sections including a reggae rhythm part and a guitar solo. Every time a solo enters, it is taken over by another instrument in a continuing swap and re-take making for slight disjointedness on the ears, but it also works from a disjointed yet harmonically linked perspective - and it has another gorgeous extended solo form the sax which is joined by the ensemble to close.
'Mental' is a well-worked song about how hormonal influences affect people and their behaviour. The pithy vocals are harmonious, and this is an enjoyable track with an outstanding guitar interlude.
'Atlantic Skies' is a beautiful guitar-led exploration of harmonies and single phrased lines. A lyrical, painted landscape comes into vision as the guitars weave different lines and work up, down and together. A track to kick back, listen deeply and relax to.
'15 Things To Do With a Cheap Ukelele' is fun and shows just what you can do in musical imitations and workings. There is a charming Latin feel to this track, and the walking gait of the rhythmic patterns behind the main part add a sense of fun. 'Used To Be A Singer' by way of contrast is melancholic and tells the tale of a singer who lost her voice - which is a contradiction because the singer here , Alison Baverstock, has a gorgeous, rich-toned vocal range. The truth of the number reveals itself as it becomes clear the voice was lost when love faded. Sad, poignant and gentle. There is a soft flute playing in the latter half, which adds further pathos.
'Edge Of The Wilderness' is an ensemble composition with guitar setting the theme further developed by the trombone, and then goes back to the guitar. All the while in the background, keep an ear for the arrangements because there is a lot more going on for the other instruments.
'Jimi Hendrix, Gig Economist' is guitar warps and riffs over vocals that discuss the money involved in arranging tours and other areas of music. An interesting excursion whilst ' The Waves' is a gentle number with flute soaring over gentle guitar And soar the flute does, creating uplifting circles of sound over steadfast, supportive guitar. 'Hell's Cauldron' is an impressive track with electronic, rocky sounds, guitars climbing out of the ether and a percussive line which trips and changes at different sections. ' Best Time, Best Place' is a traditionally arranged number for voice and guitar with a light, tricky percussive line in the background which adds support and textures. The sax adds its voice, and the track is inordinately enjoyable.
'Fantasia On A Theme Of Ralph Vaughan Williams' is a wonderful, well-arranged piece with strings setting the chordal line while the guitar sings across the top. It rises and falls, creating a dynamic landscape into which the guitar drops and falls away with flute and other instruments adding their voice and layers.
'White Water' is a rocky, swingy number with a five-note phrase worked and re-worked, becoming many notes on the guitar as it develops and some interesting vocal lines interspersed at points. 'Fuzzy Logic is a bluesy, laid back number with great sax and vocals, whilst 'Cordoba' is a beautifully uplifting Mediterranean feeling number with some quite exquisite rhythm changes. 'Deciduous' is gentle, soft and the theme set up by the sax is filled out and developed by the rest of the ensemble. ' Wild Weekend' is gorgeous with great vocals over tight, bluesy support and 'A Dorset' Hornpipe' which closes the album is probably one of the best hornpipe arrangements you will hear.
What is striking about this album is the variety of the themes, influences and styles. There are many tracks to listen to and each one serves up a course that differs from the next and the preceding one, and together, the album has cohesion and wholeness which makes it feel complete.
Reviewed by Sammy Stein
