In the can: ‘I Will Survive,’ ‘Maggie’, ‘Mornin’’ and more – fruits of this week’s recording session
In Dublin yesterday, on the second of the three day recording session at Camden Recording Studios for Linley Hamilton’s latest album, l-r Gráinne Duffy, who sang super treatments of ‘I Will Survive’, top, Jay Anderson, Steve Hamilton, Torsten Goods, Darren Beckett, Mark Wilde, Cian Boylan
It is quite a gathering this week in Dublin as trumpeter Linley Hamilton records his latest album with the involvement of top players from Ireland, Scotland, England, Germany and America.
I popped in for a while during a brief visit to Dublin in the afternoon as the musicians were playing parts for ‘Maggie’ a tune named after Linley’s wife who was herself present in the studio.
The sessions took place in central Dublin at a congenial human scale studio, on this street above in Portobello, not far from famed rock venue Whelan’s.
Arrangements are by studio owner Cian Boylan, above, right, who is a piano player and who performed at the opening night of the new upstairs Ronnie Scott’s space earlier this year accompanying singer Dana Masters. A new Dana album is in the works the producer tells me during a brief chat in breaks between takes.
So what else did I hear? Well, there was a very fine soul and jazz funk version of Al Jarreau’s 1980s slice of positivity ‘Mornin” sung by the German-Northern Irish guitarist singer Torsten Goods that beamed out appealingly. It has possible daytime Jazz FM radio play written all over it with its upbeat feel and ingenious use of vocalese.
Torsten whose mother comes from north Belfast is best known for his albums issued on the ACT label including 2006’s Irish Heart which was a tribute in part to his Northern Irish roots. Torsten is also the artistic director of the outdoors Jazz Am See – also known as the Jazz und Klassik am Fluss festival – in Erlangen, Bavaria.
There’s a Van Morrison connection at these sessions too. Not only has Linley played with Van but the Camden sessions for the album include a treatment of Common One (1980) call and response light funk driven number ‘Satisfied’ which you don’t often hear in a jazz setting.
Later the revelation of the day proved to be singer Gráinne Duffy who hails from Castleblayney, County Monaghan – and who has a firm blues pedigree, notably with Lisburn blues icon Ronnie Greer – who did a few excellent takes of a jazz version of disco classic the Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris song, synonymous with Gloria Gaynor, ‘I Will Survive’, firmly stroked home by the now Bedford based Northern Irish drummer Darren Beckett. I heard jaw dropping sax soloing from Derek ‘DOC’ O’ Connor and tasteful trombone contributions from UK modern jazz trombone icon Mark Nightingale too during the afternoon.
Darren mentioned he had worked with the bassist here Jay Anderson (above) when the drummer lived in New York. It’s a SteepleChase release from 2005 called Jam Session Vol 16 which had Anderson with two other great bass players on it: Ron McClure known for his work with Charles Lloyd’s classic quartet and Steve LaSpina. I checked it out when I returned from the studio. What an engaging gem it proves. George Colligan’s on it, too.
Gráinne’s voice is – she joked in chats between takes joshing with the audio engineer – compared to Susan Tedeschi, the fine Janis Joplin like singer known for her work with Derek Trucks. It’s a comparison the Monaghan woman does not mind a bit. But she was a bit worried her strong voice would tip into the red on the dials but she was reassured it sounded just fine by studio engineer Alex working alongside Cian. It will shake a lot of people up favourably who don’t know her work once this is released next year I predict. And it is just one terrific element of what’s in store. Think you know the song: think again.
Linley, above, plans to gig with most of the members of the musicians doing the recording next May at the Cathedral Quarter festival in Belfast, his hometown. The album is to be issued on the Magy’s Farm label, an offshoot of the County Down venue that he runs with his wife.
Anderson flew in from the States for the recording. Also involved notably were English guitarist and ECM star Rob Luft – great on Riversphere last year – who contributed some strong soloing to ‘I Will Survive’. Scotland born pianist Steve Hamilton known for his work back in the day with Bill Bruford’s Earthworks in the late 1990s and early noughties and with Mahavishnu Orchestra legend Billy Cobham, meshed well with Anderson in a balladic section towards the end of the song when the Boylan arrangement allowed a certain poeticism and space to contrast with the no nonsense ballsy singing that Duffy provided so meaningfully.
More details of the tunes covered during these days seen on Linley’s phone, above. Look out for more on the project nearer release time when everything will be firmed up for release.
Outside the Camden Recording Studios in Dublin: l-r, Paul Booth, Maggie Doyle, Linley Hamilton, Gráinne Duffy, Rob Luft
Walking the walk, talking the talk along Pleasants Place in Dublin’s Portobello in between recording bouts at Linley Hamilton’s recording session that features a stellar international cast of players
But for now certainly the signs are exceptionally encouraging and whet the appetite for the full release next year.
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