Julian Arguelles: Inner Voices (Tone of Pitch Records)
****
Once about a time the idea of a solo recording by a saxophonist would have not only been a little unlikely, but also, let’s face it, a rather daunting listening prospect.
Julian Arguelles
But technology is a wonderful thing and such are the modern recording techniques that one reed player in a room with a laptop, a microphone and a whole arsenal of instruments can make a whole lot of music. Of course, the quality of the final product still depends entirely not on the recording methods but on the musician himself.
With Julian Arguelles, alone, lonely and at a loose end in between work with the hr-Bigband in Frankfurt, a good thing is guaranteed.
The arsenal ranges from piccolo at the top end to contrabass saxophone right down the bottom, and he even uses saxophones for the percussion, hitting the keys and looping the results. To hear how wide-ranging and funky the results can be, try track two: Brushes.
Arguelles has always had a thing for rich and redolent horn harmonies, and can indulge them to heart-aching effect on a tune like “You See My Dear”.
There are great solos against minimalist-styled, cyclical accompaniment, stately marches and a gorgeous slowly-building celebration of African-flavoured jazz in Disatease.
An amazingly varied album from an endlessly creative jazz musician. Even the faint-hearted can enter confidently.
Julian Arguelles is touring his excellent trio with Michael Formanek on bass and Tom Rainey on drums, starting on Friday in Brighton and ending on 1 February in Dublin. See here for details.
Jim Mullen Organ Trio: Make Believe (Diving Duck Recordings)
****
The guitar, Hammond and drums line-up is always alluring. Add to Mullen on guitar, Mike Gorman on organ and Matt Skelton on drums the tenor saxophone of Stan Sulzmann and I’m hooked.
Jim Mullen
The tunes are as well-worn and familiar as you’d want for this all-enveloping feel-good mood – Nature Boy, When I Fall In Love, Nancy and more.
Mullen’s way with a melody, and with a solo, is just so assured and relaxed, and Sulzmann matches him – these are men with nothing to prove and a clearly shared warmth in maturity. They can push strongly, as on Mullen’s title track, but even here “flustered” is not in their vocabulary. Gorman and Skelton hunker down and groove hard behind the soloists, and take their own turns in the spotlight with aplomb.
Oh, and as it’s a big Rabbie Burns year, let’s hear it for the band’s richly trilled and twirled reading of Ae Fond Kiss.
This band is also touring the UK, courtesy of Jazz Services, so have a look here for dates.
Karen Street: Another Story (Big Shed Music)
***
This is the third recording from the accordionist who came to wider jazz notice as a member or the Mike Westbrook Band, but was renowned in the accordion world long before then and can turn her hand to almost anything, having played with Grace Jones and Opera North. She is also an accomplished saxophonist.
Karen Street
The band comprises Fred T Baker on bass and guitar, Andy Tween on percussion and, on some tracks, Sara Colman on vocals.
Given the range of Karen’s interests, from covering Tina Turner tunes to her husband Andy Tweed’s tricky compositions, plus Jobim, standards and multi-tracked originals, it’s no surprise that Another Story ends up perhaps a little too eclectic for its own good.
That’s not to detract from this disc’s many riches – Karen herself is a great player, especially on accordion, and she gives generous space to her fellow musicians, especially the extraordinary funkmeister Fred T. Sara Colman is always a highly intelligent singer and her reading of What’s Love Got To Do With It is a fine addition to her songbook of rock covers.
You can buy this album here.
