Nathan Haines (ten); Kevin Field (pno); Alan Koetsier (dms); Thomas Botting (bs).
(Review by Lance.)
New Zealand, to the best of my knowledge, isn't a country with a rich jazz heritage. Off hand, I can't think of any musicians from NZ who have made their mark as jazzmen. With this CD however, all that may change!
Nathan Haines is a new name to me although, back in the 1990's he lived in London and even owned a night club - Bernsahl. More recently, he played two sell-out nights at Ronnie Scott's.
The Poet's Embrace was recorded in Auckland and features Haines' emotional, refreshingly dry sounding tenor on six of his own compositions. He's not one of your 100 notes a second guys but a player who makes every note and phrase count without straying far from the normal range of the instrument. Think Blue Note and you get the picture.
On piano, fellow Kiwi Field - an early associate of Haines - solos and comps effectively sounding at times not unlike Bill Evans, which is no bad thing, displaying a rich harmonic concept. The pianist also contributed the final track Offering. Drummer Koetsier drives and kicks ass when ass-kicking is required and cajoles and makes love to the kit when tenderness is the priority. Bassist Botting brings body to the band filling it out, complementing Fields' harmonies with his own sympathetic voicings.
The Poet's Embrace was recorded straight to tape on analogue equipment with no mixing or overdubs. This probably accounts for the warmth and authenticity that the album exudes, capturing the spirit of classic jazz recordings before the multi-track, digital era.
Release date for The Poet's Embrace (Warner Jazz) is May 6, 2013.
Lance.
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