TIM THORNTON - Little One
AMP Music & Records
Available at: ttp://www.ampmusicrecords.com/releases-1/tim-thornton-little-one
Tim Thornton - bass; Riley Stone Lonergan - tenor sax; Ant Law - guitar; Chris Draper - drums; Rosanna Brandi - vocals
Tim Thornton’s big sound, sure intonation, and awesomely fleet fingered technique have become a staple foundation of London’s jazz scene, and his distinctive musical personality, at once powerful and playful, has underpinned any number of projects at the straight-ahead end of things, most notably tenorist Leo Richardson’s powerhouse bebop-plus outfit. This recording, his third under his own name, takes us in another direction. His last solo outing, Back And Forth was very much in the style of a classic ECM piano trio, with some diverse takes on classic repertoire alongside some adventurously free-wheeling originals: this time the palette is expanded, with Ant Law’s clean-toned, incisive guitar and fluent, full-toned tenor sax from Riley Stone Lonergan sharing out the solo duties with Thornton’s gorgeously rich bass,and vocalist Rosanna Brandi providing texture: the resulting blend, without keyboard chords to thicken the mix, sounds like a mix of interweaving voices, as on the dancing ‘Chilean Pavilion’ where everyone trades phrases with joyous abandon. Chris Draper on drums is sensitive in support, his contributions throughout supremely musical - the compositional style has the kind of pastoral uplift you might associate with Jarrett or Metheny, touched with elements of folk and, on ‘Passengers’, some gospel flavours - it’s intriguing to hear the often knottily abstract Law bust out some soulful blues-inflected licks with such conviction, and repeat the trick on ‘Big Feet’. ‘Little Feet’ is a solo feature for anyone who wants to bask in the warmth of the Thornton tone and marvel at the assurance with which he wields his considerable chops. Stone Lonergan is a perfect fit in terms of musicality and language, and everything he does is charged with a real palpable emotional content that delivers some of the album’s most affecting moments, as in his bravura solo on the barnstorming ‘Omage’ - a tune that simultaneously evokes the intensity of ‘spiritual jazz’ and a very Brit jazz-rock sensibility. The record was inspired by Thornton’s experience as a new father, and judging by the joyful uplift emanating from this session it seems the sleepless nights have invigorated rather than enervated him. Good job too.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
AMP Music & Records
Available at: ttp://www.ampmusicrecords.com/releases-1/tim-thornton-little-one
Tim Thornton - bass; Riley Stone Lonergan - tenor sax; Ant Law - guitar; Chris Draper - drums; Rosanna Brandi - vocals
Tim Thornton’s big sound, sure intonation, and awesomely fleet fingered technique have become a staple foundation of London’s jazz scene, and his distinctive musical personality, at once powerful and playful, has underpinned any number of projects at the straight-ahead end of things, most notably tenorist Leo Richardson’s powerhouse bebop-plus outfit. This recording, his third under his own name, takes us in another direction. His last solo outing, Back And Forth was very much in the style of a classic ECM piano trio, with some diverse takes on classic repertoire alongside some adventurously free-wheeling originals: this time the palette is expanded, with Ant Law’s clean-toned, incisive guitar and fluent, full-toned tenor sax from Riley Stone Lonergan sharing out the solo duties with Thornton’s gorgeously rich bass,and vocalist Rosanna Brandi providing texture: the resulting blend, without keyboard chords to thicken the mix, sounds like a mix of interweaving voices, as on the dancing ‘Chilean Pavilion’ where everyone trades phrases with joyous abandon. Chris Draper on drums is sensitive in support, his contributions throughout supremely musical - the compositional style has the kind of pastoral uplift you might associate with Jarrett or Metheny, touched with elements of folk and, on ‘Passengers’, some gospel flavours - it’s intriguing to hear the often knottily abstract Law bust out some soulful blues-inflected licks with such conviction, and repeat the trick on ‘Big Feet’. ‘Little Feet’ is a solo feature for anyone who wants to bask in the warmth of the Thornton tone and marvel at the assurance with which he wields his considerable chops. Stone Lonergan is a perfect fit in terms of musicality and language, and everything he does is charged with a real palpable emotional content that delivers some of the album’s most affecting moments, as in his bravura solo on the barnstorming ‘Omage’ - a tune that simultaneously evokes the intensity of ‘spiritual jazz’ and a very Brit jazz-rock sensibility. The record was inspired by Thornton’s experience as a new father, and judging by the joyful uplift emanating from this session it seems the sleepless nights have invigorated rather than enervated him. Good job too.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
