Nye Banfield to debut

Looking ahead to early 2024 and one new name to look out for is UK saxist Nye Banfield pictured whose album Trails and Traces is to be released on 12 January - listen to the album's fine lead off track the moody 'Bellarom Gold' above, Banfield grew …

Published: 22 Nov 2023. Updated: 5 months.

Looking ahead to early 2024 and one new name to look out for is UK saxist Nye Banfield pictured whose album Trails and Traces is to be released on 12 January - listen to the album's fine lead off track the moody 'Bellarom Gold' above, Banfield grew up in Leicestershire and is now based in London having studied at Trinity Laban. He is inspired by Wayne Shorter, Ambrose Akinmusire and UK legend Mark Lockheart among others. Trails and Traces has established players Mark Kavuma on trumpet, Rupert Cox on piano & keys and Hamish Nockles-Moore on bass with Wilf Diamond on trombone and Ewan Moore on drums. We'll bring you more on the album with a full review near release time.

Tags:

Joey Alexander, Continuance, Mack Avenue ****

An album that works like a charm. And while sometimes you wonder who the icons of the future are - well the future is happening now and the infectiously grooving Continuance from Joey Alexander is more evidence that the Indonesia-born player is in …

Published: 21 Nov 2023. Updated: 6 months.

Next post

An album that works like a charm. And while sometimes you wonder who the icons of the future are - well the future is happening now and the infectiously grooving Continuance from Joey Alexander is more evidence that the Indonesia-born player is in the new pantheon.

Tunes are vibrant and more than feelgood - they just seem to tap the moment, take Theo Croker's part on 'Why Don't We'. Croker is on several tracks but the album operates just as much as a trio album elsewhere. Alexander's use of mellotron to conjure the sound of flute on 'Aliceanna' is more than simply a gimmick and transforms the mood of the album entirely.

Remarkably the twentysomething pianist/composer Alexander's 7th album, bubbling bass from Kris Funn is part of the secret sauce (in the spotlight particularly at the beginning of 'Zealousy') with John Davis keeping a firm tilt on drums and who plays a bit like Brian Blade at times. The album contains 5 new Alexander originals plus the band's take on Bonnie Raitt number 'I Can't Make You Love Me' and the venerable hymn 'Great Is Thy Faithfulness'. Warm and welcoming - what's not to like?