James Chadwick

“Wacahume”

(33 Records 33JAZZ202)

James Chadwick is a guitarist and educator based in Cardiff. I’ve seen him play many times on the jazz scene in South Wales and the Welsh Marches mainly playing pieces from the Great American Songbook or some of the better known bebop tunes. Chadwick’s collaborators in this area include bassist Erica Lyons, trumpeter Ben Thomas and multi instrumentalist Lee Goodall, fine musicians and local heroes all. Chadwick has also worked with bassist Paul Gardiner and the very different saxophonists Frank Griffith and Jake McMurchie.

Enjoyable as Chadwick’s playing of standards is, it’s with his self penned solo albums that he really establishes his musical personality. The records reveal Chadwick’s more experimental side and show him to be a subtle, versatile guitarist and a distinctive and original composer.

“Wacahume”-the enigmatic title is a composite name incorporating Chadwick’s sons Huw and MacKenzie plus himself- is Chadwick’s second album for the Luton based 33 record label. The first, “Undercurrent” (2002) was a hugely enjoyable release featuring a core trio of Chadwick,Andy Hamill (bass) and Tom Hooper (drums) plus a string contribution from guest musician Adrian Fry (trombone).

Hamill, who this time round also features on harmonica, is still around for “Wacahume” with Chadwick’s old friend Lee Goodall also performing a key role as both producer and musician. The album was recorded at Goodall’s Oakfield Studios with the proprietor both engineering and producing. The album was recorded over two sessions with the versatile Goodall acting as drummer and percussionist on the six items recorded in the trio format. The other five pieces feature a quartet with Goodall moving to his more familiar alto sax (he’s a more than competent flautist and guitarist too) as the great Martin France comes in on drums. It represents a considerable coup for Chadwick to have a musician of France’s standing on the recording and the prolific drummer’s playing is as absorbing as ever.

Chadwick is a self effacing character and this is reflected in his playing style. His lines are clean and unflashy and whilst there’s a degree of intellectual rigour about his writing there’s an element of playfulness too. There’s a na?ve quality about some of Chadwick’s tunes, Frank Griffith who supplies the liner notes speaks of their “child like and folky” nature and he’s right. But although the themes are simple there is still a good deal of sophistication in the way that Chadwick and his colleagues tackle them. In a well sequenced programme there is always something interesting going on.

The album opens in trio format with “In The Bag” as the threesome improvise around a simple, child like phrase. Goodall’s percussion is playful and delightfully detailed, gently sparring with Chadwick’s guitar. The na?ve leitmotif acts as an anchor as the trio gently probe freer aspects of playing.

There’s a switch to quartet mode for “Innit” with Goodall moving to alto and France coming in on drums. This piece is more clearly rooted in jazz with Chadwick adopting a more conventional jazz guitar sound and with Goodall on boppish alto. It’s all propelled by France’s crisply energetic drumming with the sticks man excelling on a series of neat breaks.

Hamill features as a soloist on the abstract ballad “What If”, his tone combining lyricism and resonance. Chadwick’s own sound is warm and uncluttered and he makes every note count on an absorbing but low key solo.

Still in trio mode “All In” features Chadwick’s languid, slightly sinister chording over Hamill’s deep bass groove and the intelligent filigree of Goodall’s drums and percussion. Goodall proves himself to be a sensitive and supportive figure behind the kit and overall I was highly impressed with this aspect of his playing. I’ve heard him on saxophone on many occasions but this is the first time I’ve heard him drumming on record.

“Wacahume” itself features the quartet and is strangely fluid and open ended. It sounds as if it’s largely improvised, there’s a strong sense of group interaction and of the band listening to each other.

The jaunty “Lullaby” on the other hand is more obviously composed. There’s a sunny Latin/Caribbean feel to the piece with Hamill again excelling as a soloist and with Goodall featuring on breezy alto.

“Meltdown” doesn’t sound anything like the title might suggest. Instead it’s a drifting, atmospheric piece with sparse guitar chording, deep woody bass and delicately brushed drums courtesy of
Goodall. It’s actually rather lovely.

“Thanks” is another Chadwick piece based around a childlike melody, it’s gently jaunty and whimsical and exhibits the kind of spaciousness that’s characteristic of the whole recording. Chadwick features strongly here, his idiosyncratic chording sympathetically supported by the rest of the trio with Goodall showing up well on a series of quirky drum breaks.

“Ogje” is the album’s lengthiest track, growing organically from Goodall’s opening sax phrase. A bop sensibility combines with Chadwick’s trademark simplicity as the piece unfolds with Goodall probing above Hamill’s sturdy bass walk and France’s chattering drums. Chadwick’s own solo combines bebop chording and single note lines and he is also heard sparring with France’s drums as the latter is featured in a series of effervescent breaks.

“Beetroot 2 Me” may have a terrible title but it’s an attractive composition with spacious guitar chording circling above a 6/4 pulse. Hamill’s overdubbed harmonica solo adds an interesting additional colour to the sound palette and evokes comparisons with Pat Metheny’s collaborations with Toots Thielemans and Gregoire Maret.

The closing “Long Time D” begins in a contemplative mood with sparse alto and guitar lines gently intertwining. It may well be that this intro is entirely improvised but when France’s drums kick in the piece gains a momentum that places it somewhere the near the territory of a more pastoral Ornette Coleman.

In his understated way Chadwick has made a record that is eminently listenable but one that also satisfies the questing side of his musical spirit. His playing is totally devoid of bombast and his gently probing playing asks questions in a quiet but eloquent manner. He listens to the answers too,  and there is a high spirit of group interaction throughout the album, whatever the chosen format.

Goodall’s input to the album is obviously huge but the record still bears the imprint of Chadwick’s quiet yet gently assertive personality. His guitar sound is very personal and his avoidance of clichés ensures that something of interest is always happening. “Wacahume” may be unassuming but it’s a record with considerable depth.

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