Skip to main content

Myra Brownbridge: The Voyage Out

Out this weekend is the debut album from double bass player, vocalist and composer Myra Brownbridge. 'The Voyage Out' is a delightful offering from this exceptional talent.

Starting with the opening track (as is my wont), there is something essentially fresh and engaging about Brownbridge's compositional style and playing. The Voyage Out (album and track) take naming from Virginia Woolf's first novel and the composer takes inspiration from this quintessentially British writer, while embracing a jazz style that is creative and delightful.

Brownbridge has selected some fine musicians for her debut album: Tom Ollendorff (guitar), Matthew Holmes (drums), George Garford (alto sax) and a guest appearance from Tony Kofi (alto sax). They perform the compositions with panache and bring their experience to one of the finest debut albums I have heard.

The shortest track on the album - Entangled - is beautifully simple, with little rhythmic variation between the quartet. Musical perfection in little more than a minute.

Of course, the stunning sound of Tony Kofi on As Dreams are Made warms the soul and he does a wonderful job alongside Brownbridge's bass on her own composition as Ollendorff's guitar and Holmes's drums subtly join in. A beautiful track with a fabulous cadenza from Kofi, joined by everyone for the final chord.

Drawing parallels between Woolf's writings, ancient mythologies and personal creativity, Icarus is the crowning glory of this album, with Brownbridge's melodious and poetic vocals melting like the lyrics.

The Voyage Out allows space for these eminent musicians to perform and it's truly a stunning album. Look out for more from Myra Brownbridge.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Big Wade - 'Piano Man' out now

Big Wade and Black Swan Theory collectively blends funk, soul, jazz and everything that fills the cracks between those genres: his new album -  Piano Man - on all major streaming platforms ahead of the Piano Man Tour 2024 , which has dates across the US. Piano Man  brings a selection of original and covers, including a stunning version of Autumn Leaves , which reinvents the song as the funky, electronic Autumn . Big Wade's voice takes the song's melody and improvises around and around, with backing vocals and a deliberately sparse arrangement underpinning the song. Similarly, on Children of the Ghetto , the lead and backing vocals blend in with the soulful musicians of Black Swan Theory. Electronics are used with dexterity, often expanding the vocal lines, as in the ethereal and ghostly opening of Don't Let Me Go . However, the tools never dominate - simply adding depth and layers to the funk. Never more than when Big Wade enters a new world in Interludes , including vocals...
Post a Comment
Read more

Playtime: 'Morse Code Through The Lights'

Every once in a while, an album drops into your inbox and isn't going anywhere. Morse Code Through The Lights is just such an album. Incontrovertibly controversial, this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but this one has absolutely, instantly, made it onto my list of top albums of 2024. Drummer Tom Bancroft and his band Playtime, which began in Edinburgh as Adventures in New Music ten years ago as a weekly session, have produced something delightfully experimental and brilliantly creative. Four of Scotland's most-established jazz musicians - Martin Kershaw (sax), Graeme Stephen (guitar), Mario Caribe (bass) and Tom Bancroft (drums) - tried out new music and new ideas together. Once lockdown struck in 2020, they decided to explore the possibilities of improvising music together online, partly for something to do, and partly because it was something they could do for their audience. Most of us discovered - or thought we had - that improvising online was difficult or impossi...
Post a Comment
Read more

36 years ago today, my alto sax was stolen

Actually, it wasn't so much stolen as taken in error.    But at the time, we thought it had been removed from backstage at Amsterdam's De Meervaart venue, where I was on stage with The Style Council.     Luckily, the gig was being broadcast on radio and the support act were listening as they drove away. They soon realised the mistake and returned my sax and all was well.     It was the last gig of a great tour - Paul Weller's first European shows since breaking up The Jam.     Another benefit of the radio broadcast is the recording that exists of that show. A good friend of mine - Iain Munn, author of the definitive history of The Style Council, Mr Cool's Dream - gave me a copy several years ago.     Still a good story, after all these years.
Post a Comment
Read more