“Kairos Moment” is the highly promising début album by the young London based quartet led by saxophonist Adam Waldmann. In a programme of all original material Waldmann impresses with the quality of his writing. His music is unflashy and unhurried, based around strong, song like melodies and thoughtful , lyrical playing. Waldmann’s style has been compared to that of Wayne Shorter but he also reminds me of English musicians such as Julian Arguelles and John Surman.

Waldmann has recruited an impressive cast for his 4tet. Bassist Jasper Hoiby, leader of his own trio Phronesis is one of the most in demand musicians on the London scene. Like Hoiby drummer Jon Scott is a member of the increasingly influential Loop Collective and has worked with pianists Ivo Neame and Will Butterworth. Pianist Rob Barron is noted for his work in other genres most notably with Blur’s Damon Albarn and with rapper Kanye West. The core group is augmented by Swedish singer Emilia Martensson on two versions of the song “Unresolved”.

The group’s name comes from the Greek “kairos” defined as “a propitious moment for decision or action” or more simply “opportunity”. Certainly this album and the supporting tour will give Waldmann the opportunity to establish himself on the UK jazz scene. A short but interesting and enjoyable session and interview on Julian Joseph’s “Jazz Line Up” on Radio 3 won’t have done him any harm either. 

The album opens relatively briskly with “V.C” as Waldmann’s soprano dances over the subtly bustling rhythms of Hoiby and Scott. Barron sparkles with a fine piano solo but this is a fine quartet performance with a high level of interaction and a strong sense of group identity.

“Kairos Moment I”  reveals Waldmann’s reflective side. It is a short, impressionistic piece for softly blown tenor with sympathetic support from the rest of the group. It sounds pretty unstructured and is very likely entirely improvised. Whatever it’s providence it’s quietly beautiful.

The same can be said of the song “Unresolved” which features the voice and lyrics of the Swedish born vocalist Emilia Martensson. Waldmann and Martensson met at Trinity College of Music where both were students. Martensson’s singing is pure and flawless but still conveys sufficient emotion to make this bitter sweet song something of a gem. Her voice combines well with Waldmann’s fragile, lyrical tenor and the rest of the band are characteristically empathic. The shorter version of the piece which closes the album has the potential to receive general radio play and would make an excellent possible single. Perhaps Kairos 4tet could even have a left field commercial success on their hands.

“Russell’s Resurgence” explores broadly similar territory to the opener and includes a feature for the excellent Hoiby who leavens his huge sound with flexibility and intelligence. Scott also takes a solo in the tune’s up-tempo closing stages. The young drummer is highly effective throughout, subtly propulsive and with a keen ear for detail.

“Kairos Moment II” mines a similar seam to it’s predecessor and provides the bridge into the lovely “Long Distance Lien”, a pastoral ballad full of delicately rippling piano and thoughtful saxophone playing. There’s a superb solo from Barron but in many ways Kairos are not about soloing. Each piece is a strong group effort with the overall sound and atmosphere paramount. All four are superb technicians but selflessly channel their abilities in support of a distinctive group ethos.

“Hymn To Her” is the album’s lengthiest track and is prefaced by a gently fanfaring “Prelude”. Hoiby’s bass then takes over adding a note of urgency to the proceedings as the main body of the song gets under way. Waldmann’s light, airy soprano probes and soars over the subtly funky grooves set up by Hoiby and Scott. Barron weighs in with an eloquent statement of his own and drummer Scott is also featured. The piece is given an air of symmetry by it’s lyrical coda. With it’s tightly controlled energy this piece is arguably the highlight of a uniformly very good album. 

“Enough Is Enough” maintains the energy levels with it’s darting runs and odd meter grooves whilst featuring Hoiby as a soloist.

“The Hermit” marks a return to ballad territory and radiates atmosphere through Waldmann’s rich, warm tenor and Barron’s lyrical piano. Hoiby’s dexterous bass solo is fully in keeping with the overall feel of the piece. 

This pastoral,though not bland,mood is retained until the end of the record via the third of the impressionistic “Kairos Moments” and the reprise of “Unresolved” as already discussed.

“Kairos Moment” is an astonishingly mature début from Waldmann. His writing is colourful, consistently melodic and remarkably mature. The brilliant but undemonstrative playing by an inspired young quartet also contributes hugely to the album’s success. Waldmann and his colleagues have attracted a compelling amount of critical praise for “Kairos Moment” and rightly so, it’s an album to be proud of.

The group are touring the album throughout February 2010 and on the recorded evidence should be well worth seeing. See http://www.kairos4tet.com or www.myspace.com/adamwaldmann for dates.

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