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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 

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