Jay Phelps

“Jaywalkin’”

(Specific Records SPEC012)

Born in Vancouver, Canada, trumpeter and composer Jay Phelps moved to the UK at the age of seventeen and quickly established himself on the London jazz scene under the patronage of bassist Gary Crosby. Phelps subsequently became an important member of the award winning group Empirical and made a substantial contribution as both musician and writer on the band’s eponymous début CD released in 2007.

It was something of a surprise when Phelps left the group but he has continued to be highly active playing with a wide variety of UK musicians and visiting Americans. Perhaps Empirical was just too overloaded with talent and had become restrictive, the original group also included acclaimed pianist Kit Downes. With Empirical now essentially saxophonist Nathaniel Facey’s band first Downes and now Phelps have gone about establishing successful solo careers. There appears to be no animosity between them, Phelps’ former band are thanked individually and collectively in the album credits.

Now aged twenty eight “Jaywalkin’” represents Phelps’ solo début. It’s a confident record that boasts a stellar supporting cast of musicians including a core quintet featuring Shebaka Hutchings (reeds), Jonathan Gee (piano), Karl Rasheed-Abel (bass) and Gene Calderazzo (drums). The album also features the singing of guest vocalist Michael Mwenso plus contributions from a number of other well known musicians, among them trombonist Dennis Rollins and saxophonists Jean Toussaint and Brian Edwards. The programme comprises of six Phelps originals, tunes from Jackie McLean and Count Basie and Phelps’ intriguing jazz arrangement of Tchaikowsky’s “Semplice”.

Phelps’ music is rooted in the bebop tradition but he also brings a touch of soul jazz to the table that helps to give the album a more contemporary edge. His technical ability is immediately demonstrated on the opening title track, a rousing piece that sounds as if it could have been lifted straight from an old Blue Note record. Phelps has absorbed the influence of trumpet greats like Clifford Brown, Fats Navarro, Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard as his bravura solo here shows. Hutchings follows on soulful tenor, it’s interesting to hear him in a straightahead context after having recently witnessed him in live performance at the London Jazz Festival with the more experimental Zed U. Gee’s solo is percussive, swinging and concise and there is a brief cameo for young bassist Rashhed-Abel. Gene Calderazzo drives the whole thing along with his customary brio. 

“Out Of The Blue” is credited on the album cover to Jackie McLean. It is in fact an adaptation of the old Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler tune “Get Happy”, probably by McLean, although Miles Davis also lays claim to its authorship. Here it’s a vehicle for the scatting ability of guest singer Michael Mwenso as Hutchings sits out. Now, I can’t claim to be a big fan of scat, it always seems like a novelty to me (even Dizzy Gillespie), and a lazy one at that. But there’s no denying the joyousness of this piece with Gee and Phelps adding brief but exuberant instrumental solos. Once again Calderazzo’s energy and enthusiasm behind the drums is a big factor in the tune’s success.

“Six Degrees Of Separation” reveals a more mature and subtle side of Phelps’ musical personality. Snaking and sinuous it evolves slowly and features some excellent work from Hutchings on clarinet with Phelps making hugely effective use of the cup mute. Here “old fashioned” jazz sounds are fused with contemporary compositional ideas. It’s a fascinating blend of ancient and modern with Gee, Rasheed-Abel and Calderazzo also making strong ensemble contributions. Its the most distinctive piece on the album thus far.

The Basie ballad “Blue And Sentimental” sees Larry Bartley taking over on bass and features the string players Emma Grimes (violin) and Caroline Rankin (cello). Their lush backdrop provides the setting for Phelps’ velvety ballad playing, inspired by Clifford Brown’s “with strings” recordings. The use of the strings is highly effective and follows in a great tradition. Phelps throws in enough slurs and blue notes to keep things the right side of saccharine. Very impressive.

The lengthy “10 Years” adds guest musicians Jean Toussaint (tenor sax) and Dennis Rollins (trombone) to a core quintet featuring Hutchings on bass clarinet. Toussaint takes the first solo in gruff but authoritative manner followed by astonishingly fluent solos from Phelps and Hutchings. But the piece is not just a blowing vehicle, there are quieter, more atmospheric moments too, such as the unaccompanied passages that presage the solos. Hutchings’ and pianist Gee’s are particularly effective.

Phelps’ treatment of Tchaikovsky’s “Seplice” relocates it firmly in the jazz camp with Phelps’ trumpet and Hutching’s bass clarinet forming an unusual but effective front line. There’s a brief cameo for Rasheed-Abel as Calderazzo’s marching snare relocates Tchaikowsky’s music from Russia to New Orleans. 

“I Love My Mama” is a paean of praise to Phelps’ mum and indeed mothers everywhere. Sung in hipster style by Mwenso it just about keeps the right side of mawkishness and sentimentality. The point is, there’s lot of truth, not all of it comfortable, in Phelps words. The trumpeter’s bright concise solo and the sweet sounding tenor of guest saxophonist Brian Edwards provide the instrumental highlights. 

Mwenso introduces “A Dose Of Aladine” but quickly fades away to give pride of place to the instrumentalists. The piece is structured like a New Orleans funeral, a dirge like opening passage featuring Hutchings’  wounded sounding tenor gives way to a more exuberant “second line” section that includes a sparkling solo from Gee. There’s something of a feature for Calderazzo and Mwenso returns at the end, almost in the guise of an evangelist preacher. For all this it still sounds thoroughly contemporary and, of course, the playing is sensational.

“Hola For Ola” closes things out with a blues, neatly bookending the album. Guest bassist Larry Bartley gets to demonstrate his huge tone and dexterity with the opening solo. Brian Edwards follows on quietly smouldering tenor. Phelps is next, with the emphasis on pithiness and clarity. After hearing briefly from Gee the quintet swing home effortlessly with Phelps and Edwards combining beautifully. Unashamedly “old school” but hugely enjoyable for all that.

Despite its retro trappings there’s a brightness and joyousness about “Jay Walkin’” that makes it hard to resist. The playing by all concerned is exemplary and Paul Riley’s recording brings out the best in everybody. Technically Phelps is a supremely talented player and pieces such as “Six Degrees Of Separation” and “A Dose Of Aladine” hint at a growing maturity as a composer. “Jay Walkin’” is a very promising début and even if parts of it are a little derivative there are still clear signs that Jay Phelps is a musician who is steadily finding his own voice.

Phelps is due to play the Lichfield Real Ale Jazz & Blues Festival this summer. I hope to catch him there.       

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