Josephine Davies (tenor/soprano saxes); Dave Whitford (bass); James Maddren (drums)
For once, there was no accompanying blurb apart from the somewhat limited album notes which included a reference to one Patanjali so, before I listened, I decided I needed to know more about Patanjali. I googled him and discovered lots of facts and myths and herbal remedies dating back to round about 400/500BCE (BC). He must have been quite a guy inventing Yoga Sutra as he reputably did.
Davies, winner in the Best Instrumentalist Category at the 2019 APPJAG Awards, is deeply into his teachings and all ten tracks are based around various aspects of Zen and Hinduism. I'm not at all knowledgeable on these subjects so I won't try to fake it but just let the music speak for itself.
The album's title - How Can We Wake? - is the first line of a poem by Gwendoline Coates (Davies' mother) which is included in the album notes. The music itself is very evocative of Indian music as I know it and, were I given to meditation, I would choose this to meditate to. It would also go down nice with a curry albeit more Rogan Joshi than Vindaloo.
Davies has the technique to merge genres. The jazz is there, yet there's no escaping the Indian roots all done without a sitar in sight. With Maddren and Whitfield equally sympathetic this is the finest meeting of East and West since the legendary Indo-Jazz Fusions of the Joe Harriott - John Mayer Double Quintet in the late 1960s which is praise indeed.
The trio were booked to play a JNE gig at the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle, on December 6 but, I guess that isn't going to happen now which makes this intriguing album all the more essential.
Lance
Available on Whirlwind Recordings from October 9.
Further details.
Davies, winner in the Best Instrumentalist Category at the 2019 APPJAG Awards, is deeply into his teachings and all ten tracks are based around various aspects of Zen and Hinduism. I'm not at all knowledgeable on these subjects so I won't try to fake it but just let the music speak for itself.
The album's title - How Can We Wake? - is the first line of a poem by Gwendoline Coates (Davies' mother) which is included in the album notes. The music itself is very evocative of Indian music as I know it and, were I given to meditation, I would choose this to meditate to. It would also go down nice with a curry albeit more Rogan Joshi than Vindaloo.
Davies has the technique to merge genres. The jazz is there, yet there's no escaping the Indian roots all done without a sitar in sight. With Maddren and Whitfield equally sympathetic this is the finest meeting of East and West since the legendary Indo-Jazz Fusions of the Joe Harriott - John Mayer Double Quintet in the late 1960s which is praise indeed.
The trio were booked to play a JNE gig at the Bridge Hotel, Newcastle, on December 6 but, I guess that isn't going to happen now which makes this intriguing album all the more essential.
Lance
Available on Whirlwind Recordings from October 9.
Further details.
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