As Mr Marsalis found out, you name your son Wynton after the piano player and he plays the trumpet, so it is that the Pillinger’s named their son Miles and he plays the drums*. However, leaving nominative determinism to one side, this Miles has produced a fine album which ‘swings’ across genres but manages to still create a coherent identity. High stepping beats from South Africa and Brazil meet up with some horn led urban blues and some freer expressive moments with different elements sometimes cropping up in the same piece.
Opener Olinda Meu Amor exemplifies
this with its Brazilian beats, a bit of swing, a brief breakdown all angles, a
nod to New Orleans and a party to finish with, all in four minutes 34. I’m Not Serious is Pillinger’s drum
excursion with raging African percussion and the lovely sound of the bass
rolling in before Cuttill’s trumpet flies over the top and Tom Harris brings
even more good vibes with his joyous piano. A sharp turn for Elvin’s Beat takes us into pure bop with
a martial opening and Cuttill’s forceful solo, urged on by Harris on piano, as
Sandler comes in on tenor blowing into a hollow void with only Pillinger for
company.
Mysterious Meat was, apparently, inspired by the travails of
trying to live as a vegetarian in Brazil. The optimistic swing is repeatedly
undercut by excursions onto the dark side with Pillinger’s broken beats and
Sandler’s dark and moody tenor emphasising the scale of the problem, jaunty yet
tragi-comic. Beryl is dedicated to
Pillinger’s grandmother and adds his mother, Helen, on tenor. It has a Wee Small Hours of the Morning meets Shenandoah feel to it, stately and
contemplative with Harris’ delicate piano solo and Helen Pillinger’s tenor
moving things slowly along. Thandanani Gumede adds dramatic vocals to the
opening of Belonging before the bass
joins in accompanied by her ululations. It’s a positive, uplifting love song
that could be from a stage show that pulses with forward motion; it just rolls
onwards and on with vocal interjections and warmly supporting brass and horns.
We’re back in the heights of summer for the joyous Momentary Peace and its clear why this album got a lot of love from radio station One Jazz when it was released. I imagine the programmer saying “Let’s raise the national mood. Play this!” The Other Other Side feels altogether more grown up and is part of a pair with The Other One, which follows and closes the album. Pillinger says that “Together they reflect on uncertainty, resilience and personal growth” The first is boldly brass driven with Pillinger’s clattering drums powering matters along. The second, bringing the album to a reflective conclusion has a more tentative opening that develops into something more positive and uplifting with Benjy Sandler’s flute interjections adding some additional hope before Cuttil’s glowing trumpet solo warms the heart and the flute returns to hold our hand and trumpet and flute bring us safely home. Dave Sayer
*We have a Miles in our family who plays guitar, bass, drums, keys and
can play the sax. Never touched a trumpet
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