Jazz fans who prefer the format of the piano trio should find this latest album from drummer Gaz Hughes very much to their liking. It’s very well recorded and all the tracks with the exception of Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Lady have been composed and arranged by Gaz Hughes. To join him on this project he has once again enlisted two of the most talented and experienced musicians on the UK jazz scene, piano man Andrzej Baranek and bass player Ed Harrison. The opening number lives up to its title being an uptempo 32 bar groover called Beboptical Illusion.
The second number, Concorde. finds Gaz getting into a New Orleans bag, with Andrzej in a bluesy mood and he reminded me at times of Bobby Timmons, Hilton Ruiz, and other piano legends who are mostly no longer with us. It would be impossible to pick out a stand-out track, they are all performed to the highest standard and something that I like about this trio is that they don’t make any attempt to add any gimmicks or electronics to the music. They swing like they are enjoying themselves and I look forward to seeing them again when they begin a 30 date tour of the UK starting on Feb 28 at the Railway in Stockport and finishing on July 9 at the Buxton Jazz Festival. More details about tour venues etc can be found on www.gazhughesmusic.com Mike Farmer.
Release date:Feb. 3. BANDCAMP.
Beboptical Illusion;Concorde; Edith; Laurie; Sophisticated Lady; Sticks and Stones; To The Moon and Back; The Verdict.
(Editor: The trio have two north east dates on March 17. Lunchtime at the Lit & Phil, Newcastle and evening at Opus 4, Darlington.)
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