The most famous jazz musician old Etonian since Humphrey Lyttelton.
But let’s not hold that against the Ezra Collective keyboardist. Because what’s here is hardly elitist, or by contrast nobody boogies relentlessly like Jools. And it’s a world away from ‘Bad Penny Blues.’ There was a time lest we forget that a lot of British jazz sounded like the Buck Clayton loving trumpeter, that man from the telly, ‘Gorgeous’ George Melly, or one, often more, of the three Bs – Bilk, Ball and Barber.
But anoraks of a certain vintage and mainstream persuasion, don’t get the hump because it’s not Humph. Go mad for an update. And there’s quite a few sides to jazzer J-AJ’s playing that might make you ponder that nostalgia ain’t what it used to be – governor. On his own albums he is as likely to play reggae or other far more recent black music styles. And so it proves.
But blowing through the jasmine of my mind I seem to recall hearing the student Joe as he was still just about then play a bit before all conquering Enfield band Ezra Collective were even heard of, at a foyer gig version of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme with Gary Crosby and Denys Baptiste in the foyer of the Queen Elizabeth Hall about 12 years ago. Back then he sounded like Andrew McCormack circa Telescope a bit.
It was very impressive even in the echoey foyer with punters coming and going, slamming doors and generally loitering.
This new album is charting well and is currently the second best selling jazz and blues album on the UK sales chart reckoning.
Armon-Jones can play the phone book. Here he is Chick Corea like with a bit of Herbie thrown in when playing some sort of Fender Rhodes on ‘Paladin of Sound & Circumstance,’ his own tune. It’s pomp free.
Best song in terms of vocal performance in an album full of vocals has the Gregory Porter like vocal of Asheber on the J-AJ wot’s up cuz? song ‘Westmoreland.’ That’s class.
It’s a stylistic pot pourri blend of an album – it’s far more street on ‘Another Place’ featuring someone called Greentea Peng – a Peckham favourite and bit of a star apparently – and who knew, Wu-Lu.
Better is the Yazmin Lacey feature ‘One Way Traffic’ at the end which is more R&B. Horses for courses. There are too many vocals I think. But y’all ‘Journey South’ works and is more in the Ezra Collective domain. ‘Lavender’ is a bit Stanley Clarke or Return to Forever like. It’s great. So lots of points of entry. Ideal weekend listening from a crowd pleaser who keeps it real and is a monster laidback player.
Part I passed me by when it came out earlier this year. It’s OK but this is better from the keyboardist, producer and bandleader. It stands on its own two feet. The concept is a story set in the future the year 3999, music has just about died out, a chosen few are left and keep the faith. Hear this last listener standing catechism of cool caress your long suffering ears today. Photo: Wikipedia
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