![]() ![]() Or ‘Mazawati Tea’, an update on the swinging groove trio/quartets we love. For those who crave something more traditional, there is ‘Blue Mind’, a blend of the crystalline ECM aesthetic and the warm embracing Impulse grooves. The opener ‘Oneroa Bay’ sets the tone nicely for what follows. The band were perfect for what he has created here, understanding that space serves sound. Pickering has previously demonstrated other musical sides, but I am glad he has chosen to further this one. ![]() It is an album that will reward repeated listening as the subtle minimalism if examined with open ears, will reveal an expansiveness. Cinematic phrases, slow textural electronic grooves teasing out rich soundscapes, the kind you might hear fleetingly emanating from a softly lit apartment on a summer’s night, wanting to hear more. It is a fine example of today’s forward-looking improvised music, drawing as it does on the sounds we can all too easily overlook as we drown in the endless iterations of soulless commercialism. The album is available at Rattle Jazz on Bandcamp.ĭeep listeners will appreciate this album for its subtle interplay and warm embrace. Pukeko features Gianan on guitar and Booth on flugelhorn. I rate everything on the album, but my favourite tracks are ‘Pat’, with Phil teasing wistful magic out of his lovely tune, and Pukeko. Pat features Broadhurst, McNichol on tenor, and Booth on trumpet, the latter, rising to the occasion (Booth arranges both). I won’t name all the personnel or soloists here because the list is long, but check out the album on Bandcamp. It is also moving that his beloved partner, Julie Mason, appears on piano on the remaining tracks. We know that he was delighted with what he heard. The album has significantly raised the bar for local jazz orchestras and it places Tāmaki Makaurau firmly on the jazz orchestra map.įortunately, Phil was able to guest on some of these tracks before he passed and it is moving to hear him. The arrangements are ‘voiced’ beautifully and thanks to the skill of the musicians, perfectly realised. Mike Booth, Tim Atkinson and Andrew Hall crafted the arrangements and what an extraordinary job they have done. As a composer, he was particularly gifted, so it is fitting that the compositions on the album were all drawn from that period. This was particularly evident in his post-millennium Rattle albums, with their Francophile influence. He was a musician with many musical talents, all informed by his passions. Phil Broadhurst was quiet-spoken but a colossus on the local music scene. Tribute albums may be commonplace, but tribute albums like this, born out of fondly remembered connections with the subject artist, stand out from the rest. It is the AJO’s fourth album and arguably their finest to date. Here, we have a loving tribute to the man and his music, appropriately performed by the AJO, a jazz orchestra peopled with musicians who knew him well. ![]() We lost Phil Broadhurst back in 2020, but his legacy is enduring, and unsurprisingly, he is constantly in the thoughts of the musicians he worked with. All the albums I review here slow the world’s orbit to a sensible pace and invite reflection. In this space, I reach for artisan teas from China and the type of music that invites reflection. The last few years have felt particularly untethered as a growing flock of anxieties encircle us. Many prefer the latter, although the other responses are also valid. You can deny reality, scream into the void, surf the waves of absurdity, bitterly declaim, or seek quiet while you gather your thoughts. There are many ways to navigate troubled times. ![]()
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