Description
Hackney Colliery Band have effortlessly transformed their explosive live energy into 11 original recordings that push the groove and form in an accomplished manner.
On Collaborations: Volume One, writers Steve Pretty, Olly Blackman and Luke Christie have between them penned the outfits most dynamic material to date. Mm Mm (feat. Angélique Kidjo and Roundhouse Choir) merges Beninese grooves with wah pedal trumpet textures, and the rousing call-and-response between Kidjos soaring vocal and the exhilarating choir adds a richness and depth to the composition.
On Snowfire, innovative Norwegian pianist Bugge Wesseltoft brings a euro/nu-jazz feel to the album, while Dennis Funkybone Rollins adds his trademark virtuoso trombone to the carnival-flavoured Ricochet.
Theres an energy, respect for tradition and the exuberance of London in Hackney Colliery Bands work, best exemplified in the evocative and downright thrilling James Taylor collaboration Hypothetical, with Taylors Hammond organ recalling the Acid Jazz era in which he made his name.
New single Netsanet (feat. Mulatu Astatke) is a deep exploration of Mulatus trademark Ethio-jazz, while Crushing Lactic, composed by Tom Rogerson (fresh from a recent collaboration with Brian Eno) has a frenzied flow, with big horns and driving rhythm section.
*Elsewhere, Pete Wareham (stalwart of the London jazz revival) lends his free-flowing sax to Whats Gone Before, leading us into a powerful communion of jazz and brass as Mulatu Astatkes Derashe takes the listener down a vibrating rhythmic path while accompanied by blasts of horns and Mulatus trademark vibraphone.
Two spoken word compositions (Why Yellow and Climbing Up My Own Life Until I Die) featuring York born writer and comedian Rob Auton lend an introspective voice to Collaborations: Volume One.
A band never content to rest on its laurels, Hackney Colliery Band already have a number of collaborations in the works for Volume Two, and with further live shows planned for 2019, including the album launch at the famous Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club, 2019 looks set to be HCBs biggest year yet, both live and on record.
Steve Pretty, the bands frontman said: Its hard to believe that 2019 is our tenth anniversary, but now were ten years older it felt like the right time to get back to our jazz roots. Its been such a privilege to work with so many of our musical inspirations both old and new on this record, and were super excited to be ushering in the next ten years with this new collaborative spirit: this is called Volume One for a reason
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