Graeme Wilson Quartet

“Sure Will Hold A Boat”

(Pleasureland Records)

Originally from Glasgow saxophonist Graeme Wilson spent over a decade in the North East of England before recently relocating to Edinburgh. He has previously appeared on the Jazzmann web pages in reviews of albums by pianist Paul Edis’ sextet and by ACV, the jazz/prog combo led by bassist and composer Andy Champion. Wilson has also worked with the vocalist Ruth Lambert, the composer and arranger John Warren, the saxophone quartet Saxophonics, and with the Glasgow Improvisers and Voice of the North jazz orchestras.

Edis and Champion are also members of Wilson’s own quartet, the line up being completed by another close musical associate, drummer Adam Sinclair who also carries out the engineering duties on this album. “Sure Will Hold A Boat” represents the first full length album release from the Graeme Wilson Quartet and is a follow up to the 2015 EP “Pleasureland”. The programme consists of nine original compositions by Wilson who specialises on tenor sax throughout the album. It was recorded at the Reid Concert Hall in Edinburgh over the course of two days in May 2015.
The album is very much rooted in the jazz tradition but there’s a freshness and vitality about the writing and the playing that helps to give it a pleasingly contemporary edge.

Champion’s unaccompanied bass introduces the attention grabbing opening track “Searchlight Nevada”. This features Wilson’s authoritative Coltrane like tenor in thrilling dialogue with Sinclair’s drums. The latter also enjoys a feature of his own, this time in conjunction with Champion’s bass. Elsewhere there’s a sparkling piano solo from the consistently impressive Edis on a piece that recalls the modal and spiritual jazz of the 1960s.

“Pontoon” has a lighter, breezier Latin-esque feel which still fuels a surprisingly muscular tenor solo from Wilson. He’s followed by Champion, agile, melodic and inventive on the bass, who in turns hands over to Edis who continues to shine as he solos expansively.

“Remora” is named after a type of sucker fish that hitches a ride on larger marine animals and was once thought to be capable of clinging to ships and preventing them from sailing. Thus it’s effectively the title track of an album which takes its name from a fisherman’s quote from 1930 reproduced by the marine biologist E.W. Gudger “No wonder I am losing, all Key West fishermen know that suckers sure will hold a boat”.
The music itself deploys stop/start Brazilian inspired rhythms that inspire joyous solos from Wilson and Edis plus another exciting exchange of ideas between the brilliant rhythm team of Champion and Sinclair.

Lance Liddell’s Newcastle based Bebop Spoken Here blog informs me that the next two pieces were originally written for a project involving the Voice of the North Jazz Orchestra. Both also work superbly in a small group context beginning with the slow burning “The Sycamore” which features Wilson and Edis smouldering lyrically on a piece that unfolds gently and organically throughout its ten minute plus duration. Champion and Sinclair offer measured, sympathetic support and there’s also a wonderfully melodic solo from the bassist. It’s a group performance that exhibits great poise and beauty.

Meanwhile “The New Wallaw” is altogether more lively and boisterous and its big band origins wholly more obvious. After showing admirable restraint on its companion piece the quartet now relishes the chance to cut loose with Wilson’s r’n'b tinged tenor leading the way. Edis enjoys himself with a jaunty, playful piano solo before Wilson returns for a second bite at the cherry. This is the sound of a band having fun.

In a well programmed set the mood changes again with the ballad “Spinning Slowly”, a beautifully warm and intimate duet between Wilson and Edis, two musicians who have worked frequently together and who trust each other implicitly.

Bass and drums introduce the breezy “Turquoise”, quickly establishing a relaxed groove that provides the momentum for richly melodic and inventive solos from Wilson and Edis.

“Offissa Pupp” exhibits something of the whimsical jauntiness its title might suggest with its arresting sax led hook framing solos for Wilson’s hard nosed tenor and Edis’ rollicking piano. Champion and Sinclair provide great rhythmic back-up, the bassist delivering a typically agile solo and the latter again entering into dialogue with leader Wilson.

The album concludes with the exaggeratedly old school stylings of “Five Floors Up” with its nonchalant tenor sax/double bass intro and solo stride piano episode. Champion turns in another fine solo of his own and the piece ends with somebody (presumably Wilson ) joyfully whistling the theme. Indeed the whole album is over an hour long but it does just literally seems to ‘whistle by’, such is the quality of the writing and the playing.

“Sure Will Hold A Boat” is rather more ‘straightahead’ than much of the jazz I listen to but I have to say that I enjoyed it immensely. I love the clarity and fluency of Wilson’s sound throughout the album and I’ve long been an admirer of the playing of Edis, Champion and Sinclair due to the other projects that they’ve been involved in.

Wilson’s writing is also excellent as he manages to find plenty of fresh things to say within the boundaries of the jazz tradition. “Sure Will Hold A Boat” has gathered positive reviews from both London Jazz News and Bebop Spoken here and rightly so.

It is available from Christine Allen’s Jazz Cds website through the link
http://www.jazzcds.co.uk/artist_id_1469/cd_id_2029

Details of forthcoming live dates by the Graeme Wilson Quartet can be found at http://www.gigmit.com/graeme-wilsonquartet

I suspect that this is a band that will be well worth seeing live, as Lance Liddell can probably attest.

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