I missed the Ben Crosland Quartet's gig at Sunderland last Friday and, by all accounts, I missed a treat. However, this, his latest album, goes a long way to making up for it and not least because of the addition of special guest Steve Waterman. I'm always amused at the use of 'Special Guest' as it seems to be applied to anyone who augments a band with ill regard as to how special they are (or aren't).
In the case of Steve Waterman the question is purely hypothetical. There are few trumpet players who are more special than he. His soaring flights of fancy, his mellow flugel or the tightly muted solos are the stuff that dreams are made of for many other brassmen.
Of course Steve is but one cog in the wheel. Rod Mason is another who never fails to impress be it on flute or his various saxes. Rod and Ben have worked together for many years and they know exactly what the other needs and they deliver.
Dean Stockdale is probably the latest to occupy the piano chair and he slots in as to the manner born - when does he not? With Dave Tyas at the kit the ship will never sink. He's a subtle swinger, a back seat driver a drummer who instinctively knows where you're going and goes along with you.
The material itself is captivating ranging from hard boppish themes to more contemporary, often quite lyrical pieces. Crosland composed six of the nine originals: Broadway Departure; After the Fire; Monsieur 88; Glyding; Down in the Basement and In a City Blues. All are part of his Wooltown (Bradford) reflections and are an emotional testimony to both the city and his creativity with a pen and a bass. Waterman also provided a couple; Anne's African Odyssey and Malecon. whilst The Cost of Living came from American pianist/composer Don Grolnick.
Well worth a punt if your tastes run to modern sounds that don't stray too far from the bounds of convention. Lance
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