 |
| © Greg MacVean |
One of the Scottish jazz scene’s most travelled outfits, Molley’s quartet prepared for this celebration of the great samba and bossa nova composers with a successful tour of Brazil late last year.
“It’s been an
ambition of mine for many years just to visit Brazil,” says Molley, who formed
his quartet in 2012. “I love Brazilian music, especially the songs of Antonio
Carlos Jobim, and to play in the country that produced all these fantastic
rhythms was totally exhilarating. But to be accepted by the people there was
extra special.”
Molley’s second run
at the Jazz Bar, from Tuesday 18 to Thursday August 20 features
his quartet’s enthusiastically received latest album Tùs/Origin. Released
earlier this year, it reveals, says Molley, “the often-overlooked influence of
Scottish music on the evolution of jazz”.
Conceived as a
suite, Tùs/Origin fuses Gaelic psalms and sea shanties with Afro-Caribbean
grooves, fugue and gospel influences. It also pays homage to Frederick
Douglass, the American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and
statesman, who had strong links to Scotland in general and Edinburgh in
particular.
“It’s tempting to
imagine that Frederick Douglass heard Gaelic psalms, with their call and
improvised response form during his time in Scotland,” says Molley. “He was
clearly well thought of here and the fact that there’s a mural of him in
Edinburgh shows the respect in which he was – and is – held. It’s quite moving
to make that connection through music and to know that the tracks on Tùs/Origin
that celebrate him have been well received in his homeland.”
The Tùs/Origin
concerts, which have the strapline “… and jazz was born in Scotland” are part
of the Made in Scotland showcase, which promotes high-quality performance from
Scotland at the world’s largest arts festival. It’s made possible by support
from the Scottish Government’s Expo Fund and is a partnership between the
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, the Scottish Music Centre and Creative
Scotland.
“This is the fourth time the quartet has been selected for Made in Scotland,” says Molley. “It’s great to be part of this showcase because it opens doors. We’ve played in India, New Zealand and South Korea, as well as Brazil and leading venues in Europe, in recent years and I think being seen on the Fringe has played a part in that.”
No comments :
Post a Comment