Steve Banks 'Emboldened'

In the latest episode of Harmonious World, I am joined by guitarist, composer and bandleader Steve Banks. Our discussion is all around his new album - Emboldened - which he is currently playing around the UK with his extraordinary quintet.

This was a fascinating conversation and please do listen to the whole album if you can - Steve and I discuss many of the tracks in our conversation, but the entire collection is worth a listen. Please do try to get to see Steve if you're in the UK.

Thanks to Steve for allowing me to play extracts from Emboldened alongside our conversation.

For a debut album, this is truly an astonishing piece of work. As Steve and I discuss in our podcast conversation, Emboldened comes as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is so much more than a musician's reflections on that difficult period in all our lives - it is also a collection of compositions that allow the guitarist and his ensemble to perform and improvise at a devastatingly high standard.

This quintet has a distinctive sound, with each member bringing their own sound and style, while deftly intertwining: each acting at times as soloist and backing band.

Sam Crockatt on sax, Rebecca Nash on piano, Henrik Jensen on bass and Mark Whitlam on drums all sit alongside Steve Banks's guitar to make this a true quintet album.