The recording issued on her own label Mali Sheard Music brings together nine original compositions performed by a quintet comprising Sheard on alto and soprano saxophones, Keira Chakraborty on flute, Kyle Osborne on piano, George Balmont on bass and Luke McCarthy on drums. ECM star guitarist Rob Luft in addition to Perfect Houseplants legend Hermeto-loving Warren is also a guest.
Several pieces relate to Sheard’s family history. ‘When The Sun’ is dedicated to the leader’s Kenyan-Indian grandmother and includes birdsong recorded near her childhood home. ‘Elephants’ refers to her Kenyan heritage, while the closing piece, ‘Breathe,’ is dedicated to her Yorkshire grandmother. The title track takes its cue from a summer thunderstorm and ‘Afternoon Tea With A Demon’ – above – reflects on betrayal.
The music also refers to places that have informed Sheard’s writing, including the Hertfordshire countryside where she grew up and the Yorkshire Dales.
Sheard has roots in Tomorrow’s Warriors and studied at the Royal Academy of Music. She is in the band Ankora – think a more British version of Artemis conceptually.
While opening a record with birdsong isn’t a new trick, here it quickly gives way to woozy vamps and a surprisingly sharp melody, where the guitar acts as a clever foil to the sax. It’s decent enough, but skipping ahead to the title track reveals something far grander – it opens like a ceremonial curtain flourish, building up to a renaissance, hey-nonny-nonny flute line before settling into a warm, spiritual jazz groove.
As the album progresses, it really starts to find its footing. Piano drives the playful, sax-led rhythm of ‘It’s Fun To Be A Cat,’ while ‘Elephants’ develops into a deeper bass groove that stands out as the album’s high point. By the time ‘Afternoon Tea With a Demon’ arrives, the fuller ensemble brings a newfound momentum, leading into ‘There’s a Place’ with an intro piano line so lush it leaves no doubt there’s a romantic at the helm. The closer, ‘Breathe,’ wraps things up in a layer of studio fairy dust – creating a misty, dawn-like atmosphere that feels just a touch forced, but capably rounds out a recording that isn’t short of incident.
- Hayfever is out now. There’s a launch gig at the Pizza Express Live, Soho on 8 September
