The title of this album is something of a misnomer. Subtitled “A Tribute To The Art Of Song” it is actually all instrumental with leader Jim Hart choosing his material from lyrics and vocal performances that firstly have inspired him and secondly suit the way this quartet plays.

Originally from Cornwall Hart is now based in London where he is part of the increasingly influential Loop Collective of young musicians. He is a talented multi-instrumentalist playing vibraphone, piano and drums with great proficiency but he is probably best known for his work on the vibes, the instrument he deploys here. Joining him on this album are fellow Loop member Ivo Neame on piano with Mick Coady on double bass and Tristan Maillot at the drums. 

“Words And Music” is Hart’s second album as a leader. The first saw him leading his band Gemini on “Emergence” (2006) a strong collection of original material that marked the first release on the Loop Collective’s own label. Neame, a talented multi-instrumentalist himself, here appeared on alto sax with Coady also present and correct in the line-up. 

If “Emergence” documented the more contemporary side of Hart’s work then “Words And Music” reveals his roots in the jazz tradition. It appears on Woodville records, the label of versatile saxophonist Alan Barnes with whom Hart has also worked in a relatively “straight ahead” context.

I’ll admit that when I first received this album I was a little wary fearing that a collection of standards headed by a vibes player may be rather bland and stray too close to “lounge jazz” or “elevator music”.

I needn’t have worried, Hart is such a gifted and fluent improviser that these nine “songs” are just bursting with fresh ideas. The interplay between vibes and piano is excellent and Neame has rarely sounded so good. Coady and Maillot make a flexible and supportive rhythm team who are an integral part of the collective process. Having reviewed both “Emergence” and a recent live performance by Hart as part of a quartet under Neame’s leadership at Much Wenlock it was pretty foolish of me to have any concerns at all. These boys know exactly what they’re doing and “Words And Music” is pretty much a treat throughout.

Hart’s liner notes detail how the songs came to influence him and the quartet kick off with an invigorating version of Rogers & Hammerstein’s “It Might As Well Be Spring”. Hart’s introduction to this was the Stan Getz/Astrud Gilberto version with one of Hart’s all time heroes Gary Burton on vibes. Like Burton, Hart has a prodigious four mallet technique and the ideas just come tumbling out from him. Neame’s contribution is nearly as fine and Maillot’s nimble drumming the perfect accompaniment . An excellent start.

“Shulie-A Bop” was written by George Treadwell with scat “lyrics” later added by the great singer Sarah Vaughan. Hart’s introduction was via a trio version on a date led by drummer Roy Haynes and featuring pianist Danillo Perez and bassist John Pattituci. The slithery bebop lines suit the vibes well and Hart sounds marvellous here with plenty space left for Maillot and Coady to trade ideas. Great fun all round.

As Hart observes any song based collection just has to include Cole Porter, probably the cleverest and sharpest lyricist of them all. This interpretation of “Just One Of Those Things” was inspired by Ella Fitzgerald’s version of the tune The quartet allow plenty of room for improvisation and soloing with bassist Coady once again prominent.

After an opening salvo of up tempo numbers “I’ll Be Tired Of You” is a beautiful ballad that showcases the shimmering quality of the vibes. With Neame’s lyrical piano, Coady’s rich warm bass tones and Maillot’s delicate brushwork it all adds up to a masterly interpretation of a tune first discovered by Hart in a version by the Dudley Moore trio (yes,THAT Dudley Moore) in a version with singer Marion Montgomery. 

Steve Swallow’s masterful composition “Ladies In Mercedes” remains a vital part of Gary Burton’s repertoire. English singer Norma Winstone added lyrics to the tune later, one of the most convincing examples of “vocalese” ever. This must be one of Swallow’s best known tunes and the quartet more than do it justice in a spirited version that contains inventive solos from both Hart and Neame with Maillot also featuring strongly.

“It Took Me By Surprise” is Hart’s attempt to write a song along “Great American Songbook” lines. It even has a lyric, which remains unsung here. In any event the tune convinces in itself and is highly reminiscent of Hart’s chosen idiom. It fits in just fine with the rest of the album with the composer taking the instrumental honours on the vibes. Bassist Coady also shows up well with another dexterous solo. 

“You Go To My Head” marks a return to gentle ballad territory in a delicate version of a tune made famous by Billy Holiday. Neame’s reflective solo is a particular delight here.

“The Cat In The Hat” is a Hart original with words (unheard in this context) later added by singer Anita Wardell. It’s another bop flavoured outing full of quicksilver vibes and piano underpinned by tricky but swinging rhythms from the impressive drum and bass team. Maillot even gets to enjoy a few drum fills.

Finally comes one of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s lesser known tunes “Piano Na Manguiera”, a song Hart discovered on a trip to Brazil in 2002. the quartet’s good natured rendition ends the album on a relaxed note, a nice contrast to the densely knit improvisation on some of the previous tracks.

Hart is a major talent who deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as his vibes heroes Gary Burton and Joe Locke. He is a brilliant improviser and his quartet match him every step of the way. They bring something fresh and vital to even the hoariest of jazz standards and this album reveals something new with each listening. The high technical standards achieved by the engineering team of Dick Hammett, Andrew Cleyndert and Chris Lewis are also an important factor in the album’s success.

“Words And Music” is the result of an excellent all round team effort and ranks as one of the most enjoyable British jazz releases of the year.

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