The opener is a piece by the pianist here, 1980s era Giant soft rock balladeer Alan “I’ll See You In My Dreams” Pasqua.
When you reach this part of Peregrine the feel of the album changes. It becomes if you like “more European” “more ECM” after the relatively easy listening start.
Pasqua then delivers a lovely version of ‘God Only Knows’ the Brian Wilson classic that also figures covered by Stacey Kent so poignantly on the Duchess’ very fine new vocals album, A Time For Love. It’s a melody that’s practically impossible to tire of.
But I think I liked ‘Poetry Man’ most of all. It has a vocal by someone called Kate Lamont. Brum born she lives in the States. If you like the voice of Sara Colman you’ll like Lamont’s simpatico sound. Folk and soul aligned, Lamont has worked with such luminaries as Michael Henderson, Kahil El Zabar and Corey Wilkes. Erskine is at his most Gadd-like around about this part of the album.
‘Poetry Man’ is a cover of a Phoebe Snow song that was a hit in the 1970s. Snow also provided backing vocals with Valerie Simpson and Patti Austin on Paul Simon’s 1975 classic 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover. Saxist Bob Sheppard’s contribution here on the Peregrine version is worth seeking out. It makes me think of the sound of English saxophonist Iain Ballamy a bit.
Recorded in a studio in a place called Skokie which is in Cook County, Illinois, the album also includes a Pasqua tune called ‘Chillipso’ that gradually comes out of its chrysalis to find butterfly calypso wings and suitably flies, a cover of Jimmy Webb classic ‘Wichita Lineman’ and better than both of these a burning version of Erskine’s ‘Leaving LA’ where Sheppard again is significant.
‘Leaving LA’ owes some provenance to music that Weather Report icon Erskine, 71, wrote for the film comedy Sacramento released in 2024.
Pasqua’s ‘Dear Chick’ Chick Corea tribute at the end is another strong suit of this likeable and heartfelt album.
*Final words, an explanation amused me taken from issuing label Hard Wag’s website as to the meaning of the label’s extraordinary moniker: “‘Hard wag’” has many meanings,” the note begins wryly. “But it always means ‘most excellent’ and ‘pure joy’ at the same time. The term was born from a legacy community of musical savants in Chicago who recorded at Reelsounds Studio”. This was where Peregrine was made, a studio founded by Mark Brunner. He used the term “hard wag” in the above senses. Yes – joy and excellence radiate outwards throughout this recording too and align with that quip expertly realised by all involved.
