The young Scottish alto saxophonist Paul Towndrow is one of the rising stars of British jazz. With two acclaimed records already under his belt (“Colours and “Out Of Town”) this new release finds him working in a new context, that of the saxophone quartet. His colleagues are also leading figures on the burgeoning Scottish scene. Martin Kershaw also plays the alto and recorded the excellent album “Fruition” for the now sadly defunct Caber label back in 2002. I am unfamiliar with the previous works of tenor man Brian Molley and baritone specialist Allon Beauvoisin but on the evidence of this album both are very fine players indeed.

The saxophone quartet is a challenging medium for the musicians but it must be a very rewarding experience when the results are as successful as they are here. It is clear that the quartet are thoroughly enjoying themselves. There is a youthful zest and vitality about the playing and the material (mainly penned by Beauvoisin and Towndrow) is brilliantly arranged. The horns interlock and swirl around each other rhythmically underpinned by Beauvoisin’s buzzing baritone. Each player gets his turn in the spotlight and they all prove to be highly competent soloists. An arrangement of Sting’s “Walking On The Moon” is surprisingly enjoyable, previous jazz versions I’ve heard of this piece have been unconvincing.

I still have my reservations about the saxophone quartet as a format. The lack of a chordal instrument can mean that things get to sound rather “samey” after a while. As a listener I find that despite the brightness of the arrangements that this fundamental problem eventually begins to apply even here. Even so Brass Jaw are still one of the most enterprising and interesting groups I’ve heard in this context and on the whole I enjoyed this album. From the evidence of the sparkling, confident playing here they promise to be very exciting in a live setting and have already earned a formidable reputation for their concert appearances.

All in all this is a brave, bright and enjoyable record and a good indicator of the depth of jazz talent produced in Scotland in recent years.

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