Search - Nat Birchall :: Akhenaten

Great spiritual jazz just then the world needs it most...

Global SoulJah | Spain | 08/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Gondwana is my jazz label discovery of this year. A brand new independent label hailing from Manchester they have just released their second album, a spiritual jazz opus from little known sax stalwart Nat Birchall.



Now I get sent a lot of music and to be honest I skip through most of it due to lack of time, passing quick judgement, isolating favourite tracks for various playlists and the radio but rarely listening to albums start to finish, let alone re-listening several times over the course of a week like I have done with this album.



The reason for that has something to do with the poor state of modern jazz, a shadow of it's fomer self, which makes this album a real pleasant surprise but the real reason is this is a beautifully crafted 4 track spiritual jazz album of the highest order.



Kicking off with `Nica's Dance' it doesn't take the band long to get into their stride, laying down a languid groove over which Birchall's expansive playing is allowed to flourish and march off into territory once occupied by the Coltranes and Pharoah Saunders. Not that this is a cheap imitation. Yes the spirit of Saunders is there but the energy is coming from a clearly focussed Birchall as he sounds out his personal cosmic vision.



Birchall's sensitive sax playing then gracefully pursues the gently floating, eastern tinged, keys of Adam Fairhall on the 10 minute long `A prayer for...' which is an exercise in elegant restraint as the track slowly builds before dissipating once more into space and time.



The forthright bass of Gavin Barras heralds the start of the albums title track `Akhenaten' which translates as `effective spirit of Aten' (who was an ancient sun preaching pharaoh). The young trumpet player Mathew Halsall, responsible for the labels excellent debut album, dons his golden ceremonial headdress and enters the fray to join Birchall as both horns and Fairhalls keys politely take it in turns to sound the path to enlightenment.



North African desert, gently shifting sand dunes and Nat's rich tones echo throughout this effortless sounding recording from a man on a cosmic musical vision with top quality musicians backing him all the way. The album is a treat start to finish and Birchall, along with that other modern UK sax virtuoso Finn Peters, is helping to keep the spiritual jazz flame alight, just when we need it the most.



Global SoulJah

www.globalsouljah.com"

Serene and spiritual jazz

greg taylor | Portland, Oregon United States | 07/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A CD like this always exposes my foibles. The first couple of times I listened to it, I thought it was nice but nothing very special. Nothing particularly new or innovative. But then I was reminded of the fact that doing something new is not the point. The point is to do something true and well. Nat and his bandmates are playing music that is a revelation of their souls in both senses of that weighty word.

The band is Gaz Hughes on drums, Gavin Barras on bass, Adam Fairhall on piano and Nat Birchall on tenor sax. Matthew Halsall plays trumpet on Akhenaten. The group is UK based. Apparently, Birchall has been playing for 30 some years and currently appears in Halsall's group as well as in the bands of Arun Ghosh and Gary Boyle. Which, to my shame, means nothing to me. I have remained ignorant of all of these guys somehow. Judging by the way everybody plays on this CD (including Halsall) that ignorance is a mistake.

Birchall's playing is impressive. His playing is very measured, calm, technically superb and he has beautiful tone. He reminds me a little of a cross between Clifford Jordan and Charles Lloyd. That calmness I mentioned is a feature of the whole group. Barras has this huge sound which draws your ears to it but he is never flashy. The same with Fairhall and Hughes. Everybody is very focused on the group sound and the overall yearning of the music. Sigh. I wish I could explain it better. Just listen to the music samples. Apparently, this is only the 2nd CD that Birchall has put out as a leader. (can that be right?). The last one was 1999. Give the man a listen, pick up the CD or the MP3s and encourage the man a little. And see if you don't find yourself listening to this CD late on a summer night when things are starting to cool down."