Authenticity writ large
All I can think of when my thoughts turn in welcome fashion to Spaven’s work hitherto without looking anything up is the drummer’s collaborations with singer José James. Remember the fabulous ‘Trouble’?
I see him as more of a clubby crossover player and a very good one at that. But Light of Day could not be more different as Spaven goes quite a bit Nordic and floatily ambient with bits of choice flute (Graeme Blevins) popping up even pleasurably. The crossroads where jazz and electronic music meet is explored seemingly effortlesslly.
Consummate skill? Tick that box. The London drummer keeps the arrangements relatively spare, giving the musicians around him room to shape the music rather than filling every available space.
Several albums squeezed into one it seems
While a range of top trumpeters are involved too, notably the Finn Verneri Pohjola no stranger to issuing label Edition and brilliant on Swedish bassist Lars Danielsson’s ACT Records release Trio with English guitarist John Parricelli a few years ago, and long risen British star the Ian Carr-like James Copus, it’s Norwegian trumpeter icon and label mate Nils Petter Molvær who injects the definitive mournfulness to this most on ‘Distant Signal.’ It is a co-write of Spaven’s with keyboardist Oli Rockberger.
Manchester scene guitarist Stuart McCallum – I loved City that he and Spaven were on more than a decade ago – is closely involved in the album’s melodic and textural detail and adds some writing too. The electronic elements are there, but Spaven avoids the temptation to make these the main event. It’s outcome rather than process that counts. But maybe, and my main criticism, this is all several albums squeezed into one. The rap from Wildchild on ‘Finders’ especially seems to belong to another record entirely.
The modal basis of ‘Let Me Say It For You’ gives the piece a stronger jazz identity although overall the album’s core credibility is not an issue at all. Mercifully there is nothing especially showy or at all meretricious about Light of Day.
Richard Spaven, photo: via Yamaha
