Dum loquimur, fugerit invida aetas: carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero.
Horace Odes, Book 1 (23 BC)
While we speak, time is envious and is fleeing away from us. Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future.
Carpe diem – seize the day. English drummer Kai Craig on his debut seizes it dutifully given such energy, ideas and manifold forcefulness.
With the drummer is an experienced collection of players, the English Cool School aligned saxist Sean Payne who contributes ‘Namesake’, was at the Royal Academy of Music with Craig, and does high wire duelling with Craig and his fellow countryman trumpeter James Copus. German pianist Rainer Böhm (known for his work with Dieter Ilg) and French bassist Géraud Portal complete the sound recording the album in Germany.
Produced by Soweto Kinch drummer the American Gregory Hutchinson – Greg and Portal played together on saxist Plume’s Holding On recorded in 2021 – A Time Once Forgotten Includes a version of Wayne Shorter Atlantis piece ‘When You Dream’ which is not often covered but cropped up memorably featured on Esperanza Spalding’s Milton + Esperanza last year. What’s here sounds very different.
There’s a great version of Fred Hersch 1990s Forward Motion piece ‘Phantom of the Bopera’ that Hersch with Jerry Bergonzi later covered on the fabulous Etc Plus One. For me it’s the track I return to most.
John Taylor ‘s Angel of the Presence piece ‘Dry Stone’ is also a super choice as is Kenny Kirkland’s ‘Midnight Silence,’ that takes us back to the 1990s.
One of the tracks ‘Dealin” here was a track of the week on marlbank in June and after repeated listening still stands up well.
Overall, it’s earnest, ferociously focused, very well curated and A&R-d. And as a listener there’s plenty of gritty playing and group play to get stuck into.
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