THE WEAVE - Knowledge Porridge
(Rufus Albino Records)
Martin Smith (trumpet, flugelhorn), Anthony Peers (trumpet, flugelhorn), Anthony Ormesher (guitar), Hugo ‘Harry’ Henderson (double bass), Tilo Pirnbaum (drums) and guests.
The ‘knowledge porridge’ is a curious and impressive mixture of sounds. Much of the music has a cheeky and cheerful orientation with tunes that remain stuck in your head days after first listening to them. There are a number of guest’s instrumentalists on the album with many of the tracks trading on a variety of interesting combinations from vibraphone to the acoustic guitar. It is however the sound of the trumpet and the
flugelhorn that dominate much of the playing. If most of the recording has a bright, uplifting and optimistic feel then it is of interest that the stand out moment takes a different musical route. ‘Our Fathers’ has a beautiful mournful sound that stands in stark contrast from the rest of the music and features solos by Rob Stringer on piano and Anthony Peters on trumpet. The title track itself is more in keeping with the overall soundscape and features some humorous spoken words again by Anthony Peers. I was not especially convinced that this worked, but it did fit with the overall theatricality of the music. At its best this album is wonderfully bright and musical if also at times slightly predictable. It is really only on the ‘Our Fathers’ track that a more expressive sound is achieved and I can only hope it is this direction the band decide to explore in the future.
Reviewed by Nick Stevenson
(Rufus Albino Records)
Martin Smith (trumpet, flugelhorn), Anthony Peers (trumpet, flugelhorn), Anthony Ormesher (guitar), Hugo ‘Harry’ Henderson (double bass), Tilo Pirnbaum (drums) and guests.
The ‘knowledge porridge’ is a curious and impressive mixture of sounds. Much of the music has a cheeky and cheerful orientation with tunes that remain stuck in your head days after first listening to them. There are a number of guest’s instrumentalists on the album with many of the tracks trading on a variety of interesting combinations from vibraphone to the acoustic guitar. It is however the sound of the trumpet and the
flugelhorn that dominate much of the playing. If most of the recording has a bright, uplifting and optimistic feel then it is of interest that the stand out moment takes a different musical route. ‘Our Fathers’ has a beautiful mournful sound that stands in stark contrast from the rest of the music and features solos by Rob Stringer on piano and Anthony Peters on trumpet. The title track itself is more in keeping with the overall soundscape and features some humorous spoken words again by Anthony Peers. I was not especially convinced that this worked, but it did fit with the overall theatricality of the music. At its best this album is wonderfully bright and musical if also at times slightly predictable. It is really only on the ‘Our Fathers’ track that a more expressive sound is achieved and I can only hope it is this direction the band decide to explore in the future.
Reviewed by Nick Stevenson
