Have nice dreams jazzlovers with one of the best 2014 albums! Manchester based Matthew Halsall is something of a polymath, his roles including those of trumpeter, composer, band leader, record label owner/producer, remix artist and DJ. Since the release of his début solo album “Sending My Love” in 2008 Halsall has been undertaking a highly personal exploration of the legacy of modal era Miles Davis and the spiritual jazz of John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders. The journey has continued through “Colour Yes” (2009), On The Go” (2011) and “Fletcher Moss Park” (2012), this last named probably his best album to DATE. Halsall’s latest offering, “When The World Was One” introduces his Gondwana Orchestra, an eight piece ensemble that features saxophonist Nat Birchall, pianist Taz Modi, bassist Gavin Barrass and drummer Luke Flowers. Harpist Rachael Gladwin has become an increasingly important presence in Halsall’s groups in recent years and she is JOINED here by flautist Lisa Mallett and by Keiko Kitamura on koto as Halsall continues to broaden his range of sounds and influences. Much of the music on the latest album was written at the same time as that on “Fletcher Moss Park” and Halsall regards this new recording as something of a companion piece to its predecessor. Gladwin, Mallett and Kitamura are more fully integrated into the band than previously and bring an distinctive world music element to Halsall’s investigations of the Davis/Coltrane legacy. It’s a unifying element that’s reflected in the album title , the choice also representing a clever play on the name of Halsall’s band/record label - Gondwana being the ancient super-continent that broke up into the familiar land masses we know today -”When The World Was One” indeed. https://youtube/watch?v=F8_h6qYWjCA
Posted on: Fri, 05 Sep 2014 20:44:20 +0000
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