Jim Hall (keys); John Hall (ten); Keith Tulip (bass); Martin Wake (dms).(Review by Lance).
I currently have 19 CDs vying for poll position in the BSH Review Stakes and that's apart from the ones, hopefully, on the players of Russell, the two Steve's, Ann Alex, Hugh and anyone else who's foolishly volunteered to add their words of wisdom. There's probably also a zillion downloads that may have to wait for as many years before I get around to listening to them.
What I'm saying is that, if your pride and joy hasn't made it it's because it's either, not good enough or is still in the pile awaiting appraisal.
One disc that has made the cut is this one by north-east band Redemption.
I was, at first, hesitant about agreeing to post a review, as they are the only band in the world - to my knowledge - to have composed a tune and dedicated it to me! Fortunately, that tune, Free Lance, isn't included here so I'm free of any charges of nepotism!
In actual fact, the album is a cracker! Original compositions that genre-cross Jazz Rock, Fusion, Funk and Latin, the quartet have absorbed all those elements and created an exciting and original sound of their own. John Hall's tenor solos are as blistering as any I've heard locally or, indeed, further afield. His name should be dropped in any saxophone conversation and yet it rarely is!
Personally, I think they knighted the wrong John Hall.
Jim Hall, wisely plays keyboards to avoid comparision with his more illustrious guitar playing namesake, although if his pianistics were applied to guitar, maybe ...
On bass is Keith Tulip, I used to work in a band with a drummer named Neville Tulip, I also sold a guitar to his son who was also called Tulip. One of our most prolific reviewers is Steve Tulip and his son Francis Tulip is a comer on guitar leading me to think that there are more tulips on the jazz scene than there are in an Amsterdam flower market!
This particular Tulip does the business and, with Martin Wake on kit, gels with the Hall's to make Redemption a four piece band to look out for.
I've heard Redemption at many venues and, whilst they've all been good gigs I don't think the live sound compares with the balance they get here, It's about as perfect as you can get.
Credit for this goes to the Garage in South Shields. Matt Forster did the artwork and the photography was by Ken Drew.
Recommended!
Lance.
1 comment :
Just to add to the flowery confusion, I have a friend named Keith Tulip, not the jazzman, although he is a jazz lover of such as Miles Davis.
Post a Comment