Words by Justin Turford
We last encountered Nick Walters back in January on the eve of his excellent 'Padmāsana' album, an expressive record which married Nick’s personal travels via esoteric Indian influences and sharp modern jazz shapes. This time around the trumpeter, composer and bandleader has a different line-up, and a new inspiration - the sea. The aquatically titled ‘Marine Moods’ sees Nick reassembling his sextet that was last heard together on his 2019 album 'Active Imagination' on Tenderlonious’ 22a imprint and it is a full bodied suite of gloriously confident contemporary jazz-fusion with each musician in the band at the top of their game. Recorded in a single day, the album has a snap and a swagger about it with a genuine feeling of freedom in their playing; there may be subtly different moods within each song but as a whole, it sparkles with a spirit of brightness and vivid colour.
Album opener ‘Challenger Deep’ exemplifies this loose and confident vibe as much as any with superb shapeshifting drumming from Laurie Lowe and killer solos from Rebecca Nash on the piano and a free-flowing Tenderlonious on the flute. Sitting somewhere between modal jazz and virtuosic fusion, it’s hard work to sit still while it’s playing! The mix and production on this record is quite something. Full of air and expanse but with a sinewy bottom end, Nim Sadot’s basslines slither through the spaces as though dipped in oil.
‘Gulf Stream’ sees Nick in full effect with a catchy lead line kick off that he builds upon with a swinging trumpet solo, Laurie’s drums switching from thunder to sway before Tenderlonious gives us a sensational Eastern-flavoured soprano solo. As the actual gulf stream brings warmth to Western Europe, this composition and performance supplies summery positivity and heart in abundance.
Named after a phrase in Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey to describe tempestuous seas, ‘Wine-Dark-Sea’ is a superb rhythm and groove led number that is essentially a studio jam around a central melodic hook and Kudjovi Kush’s percussion intro. Rebecca’s singular piano language with it’s angular spacings and chordal tumbling is a particular highlight and supplies the turbulence that the title suggests.
‘Hydrothermal’ is an eleven minute beast of a fusion track with Nim Sadot’s bass at its muscular best, his nimble digits firing off intricate funk rumbles: his rhythmic partnership with Laurie’s multi-limbed pocket rocket driving the band into the clouds. Outstanding individual solos take turns at adjusting the energy flow, Rebecca’s Afro-Latin stylings contrasting beautifully with Tenderlonious’ soprano fireworks and Nick’s gleaming trumpet lines. Remember dear readers, this was all done in a single day so this is the product of deep improvisation and human interaction, and it sounds like they were having a seriously great time!
The album closes with the lovely spiritual ballad ‘Journey For Joan’. Written in honour of Nick’s grandmother Joan, the composition feels both elegant and bucolic. The light percussion and Tenderlonious’ flute lend it a folksy intimacy, Rebecca’s sensitive piano oscillates between romance and a bluesy ache, whilst Nick’s muted trumpet is positively crying with emotion.
No tricks, no gimmicks, ‘Marine Moods’ is a very fine album of multi-layered contemporary jazz created by six friends and collaborators wielding their instruments with consummate skill and with an obviously acute empathy towards each other. The autumn chill seems less pronounced while listening to Nick Walters and his band. 9/10
Nick and his band are on the road in the UK so make sure you see them live if you can!
8th October- Peggy’s Skylight, Nottingham
14th November - 91 Living Room, London
‘Marine Moods’ is released on Nick’s label D.O.T. Records on Oct 6th 2023
BUY HERE! https://nick-walters.bandcamp.com/album/marine-moods