Michael Chillingworth

“Scratch And Sift”

(Two Rivers Records TRR-010)

“Scratch And Sift” is one of the inaugural releases on the recently established Two Rivers record label, an enterprising new venture founded by the Iraqi born vocalist Alya Marquardt which has bases in both London and Berlin. The label focusses on the jazz, world, improv and experimental music scenes in the two cities. It already boasts an impressive roster of artists and although the range of music presented by the label is commendably broad it has already established a strong visual image thanks to the distinctive artwork of Alban Low whose images grace “Scratch And Sift” plus two other recent Two Rivers releases, “Via Maris” by cellist Shirley Smart’s group Melange and “Infrablue” by the German jazz/improv quartet Nautilus. I also hope to undertake full reviews of these albums in due course.

However I’ll begin with this impressive leadership début from Chillingworth who has been an active presence on the London jazz scene for over a decade, performing in a variety of large and small ensembles and also working as an acclaimed music teacher and educator. I’ve seen him play several times in a large ensemble setting including performances with the Royal Academy of Music Big Band, the Gareth Lockrane Big Band, Troykestra and Stan Sulzmann’s Neon Orchestra. Chillingworth has recorded with Troykestra and with the Jack Davies Big Band, led by the talented young trumpeter and composer Jack Davies. In all of these contexts he has impressed as both a section player and as an exciting soloist on a range of reed instruments including alto and tenor sax plus clarinet.

Chillingworth’s small group work has included two albums with guitarist Ant Law’s quintet, “Entanglement” (2013) and the excellent “Zero Sum World” (2015). At the time that I saw Law’s group perform at Dempsey’s in Cardiff during the spring of 2015 Chillingworth was missing due to a lung related illness from which he is now happily recovered. His place was taken by the supremely versatile and adaptable “supersub” Julian Siegel. 

Chillingworth was also part of Round Trip, the quartet led by the late trumpeter and composer Richard Turner who died from an aneurysm in 2011 at the tragically early age of twenty seven. Chillingworth appeared on Turner’s “Round Trip” album and now dedicates “Scratch And Sift” to the memory of his friend and colleague.

“Scratch And Sift” is an ambitious recording that features Chillingworth leading a seven piece band on a programme of eight original compositions. The septet includes some of the brightest young musicians on the London jazz scene and features the leader on alto sax and clarinet alongside Tom Challenger (tenor sax, clarinet), Josh Arcoleo (tenor sax), George Crowley (bass clarinet), Lewis Wright (vibraphone), Sam Lasserson (double bass) and Jon Scott (drums).

The presence of four horn players in the band, with two of these doubling on clarinets, allows for a wide range of colours and textures and Chillingworth makes good use of his resources on a set of consistently interesting, if occasionally challenging themes. The music has a very contemporary jazz feel that suggests the influence of the New York Downtown jazz scene on these London based musicians. There are hints too of older masters such as Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy plus the presence of more home-grown influences such as Brotherhood of Breath and Loose Tubes. 

Opener “Butterman” begins with a lively series of horn fanfares, these underscored by Wright’s vibes. The music is knotty and complex, but my no means inaccessible, and the vibes eventually lead us to an extended alto solo by Chillingworth, this followed by an equally fluent statement from one of the tenor players, though I’m not going to hazard a guess as to which it might be. Meanwhile the ensemble passages provide plenty of harmonic and rhythmic interest with the horns adding splashes of colour as vibes, bass and drums intertwine around some pretty challenging rhythms

“Mint” mines similar territory, this time with the focus more firmly on the ensemble as the septet navigate their way through some pretty choppy waters with Wright and Scott both featuring prominently alongside the horns. Eventually the edgy urgency of the first half of the tune dissipates and the second half is more impressionistic with the sounds of clarinet and bass clarinet coming to the fore.

With its angular theme and resultant variations the music of “Brian Kuh” (presumably this is the piece named after the ‘cinematic villain’ mentioned in the press release) is as febrile and tightly knit as anything that has gone before but still leaves enough space for Chillingworth and Wright to cut loose with expansive and arresting solos. There’s also a powerful tenor excursion allied to some suitably propulsive work from the bass and drums. In between the solos there are some fiendishly complex staccato ensemble passages which the musicians negotiate with commendable precision.

Chillingworth and his colleagues lower the temperature with the gently sinuous “The Wait” with Crowley’s slinky bass clarinet leading the way, subtly blending with the other horns plus Wright’s vibes as Scott supplies sparse rhythmic accompaniment. As the piece progresses it becomes more edgy and complex with alto and tenor stretching out as the music adds layers of colour and energy and even embraces a wilful dissonance.

“Capture” is more loosely constructed and sounds as if it may be largely improvised as horns, bass and drums skirt their way around each other, tentatively probing before Chillingworth allows himself the luxury of stretching out. Lasserson also features fairly prominently, revealing just why he has become one of the UK’s most in demand young bass players. 

At a little over two and a half minutes “Grapeful Lady” is the shortest track on the album but is a joyful outpouring of energy with the massed horns braying in celebratory fashion above Scott’s briskly propulsive drumming.

At a little over five minutes “Numbers” is more of a slow burner, gradually building from a low key introduction incorporating the sounds of clarinets and vibes then slowly developing via a series of increasingly urgent and garrulous series of saxophone ruminations to resolve itself via an angular closing theme.

The closing “Righteous” opens with a celebratory fanfare then subsequently develops a series of jagged, staccato edges which help to provide the framework for solos for both alto and tenor saxes. Meanwhile the tightly meshed ensemble passages make effective use of Wright’s vibes in the arrangements while Scott delivers a bravura performance at the kit.

“Scratch And Sift” represents an effective leadership début from Chillingworth with some adventurous and intriguing themes and arrangements allied to a consistently high standard of musicianship. Over the course of an entire album the intensity and complexity of the music can get a little unrelenting at times but Chillingworth should be applauded for his ambition and overall the album is thoroughly enjoyable. However, I’d have liked to heard a little more from Wright whose vibes are mainly used as a textural device and who only gets one real solo over the course of the whole album.

Despite the challenges most adventurous listeners should plenty of things to appreciate here and I would also imagine that this is music that would be highly exciting and effective in a live environment.

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