Excerpts are streaming by the band Ahmed of their storming version of double bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik's 'Nights on Saturn' parenthesized 'Communication'. 'Nights on Saturn' was on The Music Of Ahmed Abdul-Malik (New Jazz, 1961). Ahmed (pianist Pat Thomas known for his work with Black Top, bassist Joel Grip, drummer Antonin Gerbal and alto saxophonist Seymour Wright) recorded the piece live at east London venue Cafo Oto. Released by Astral Spirits tomorrow the bits I've heard sound excellent so it will be very good to hear the full version after release. Most of the players are unfamiliar to me apart from Thomas who I first saw live in Peter Ind's Bass Clef in Hoxton in the early-1990s when he was playing along with the former Time Out writer Linton Chiswick (last I heard a scriptwriter for TV soap Emmerdale). Thomas is now fairly widely regarded as one of the UK's finest free-improvisers whose work sits primus inter pares alongside the work of fellow pianists Alexander Hawkins and Matthew Bourne on the freer end of the spectrum among top UK jazz pianists. SG

Ahmed, top