Patrick Naylor

“Organza”

(Beeboss Records BBCD 2037)

Patrick Naylor – guitar, David Beebee – Hammond organ, Eric Ford – drums

Patrick Naylor is a London based guitarist, composer, bandleader and educator   who first came to my attention in 2021 with the release of his fourth album “Winter Dream”, which is reviewed here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/patrick-naylor-winter-dream

Prior to this Naylor had released three previous albums as a leader, “Afternoon Moon” (2003), Brasil Universo” (2007)  and “Days of Blue” (2015). More recently he has released the digital EP “Michael”(2022),  a dedication to fellow guitarist and mentor Michael Hedges, which also features cellist Natalie Rozario and trumpeter Fulvio Sigurta.

All of Naylor’s solo recordings, including this new release “Organza” are available via his Bandcamp page, which can be found here;
https://patricknaylor.bandcamp.com/music

In 2024 I had the pleasure of meeting Patrick and seeing him play live for the first time when he was part of the Perhaps Trio, led by saxophonist Julian Costello and featuring Rozario on cello and vocals, when they gave an excellent performance at that year’s Brecon Jazz Festival. Review here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/features/article/brecon-jazz-festival-2024-jazz-film-weekend-saturday-august-17th-2024

In addition to leading his own bands, usually in the quartet or quintet formats, Naylor is also part of the group The Gypsy Dreamers, featuring Rozario (cello, vocals), Una Palliser (violin, vocals) and Thierry Deneux (percussion, vocals).

Together with fellow guitarist Tim Robinson he also co-leads the gypsy jazz group Viper’s Dream, with whom he has recorded three albums. A fluid line up has included Alex Keen (double bass), Sara Mitra (vocals), Daniel Teper (accordion) and Richie Howard (clarinet).

Naylor and Teper have also written extensively for TV, radio and film, while Naylor also enjoys a career as an educator, running guitar classes and workshops and teaching guitar at St. Paul’s Cathedral School.

Naylor’s latest album release is “Organza”, the word representing both an album title and a band name. It won’t come as too much of a surprise to learn that the group is an organ trio, with the supremely versatile David Beebee on Hammond organ and Eric Ford, of Partikel fame, at the drums.

Beebee is a multi-instrumentalist who also plays piano and bass in addition to running his own Sussex based Beeboss recording studio and record label. He has released seven albums as a leader, with several of them featuring the playing of Naylor. He has also worked regularly with Ford and the close ties between the three musicians help to assure that Organza is a cohesive unit with an impressively strong rapport between the players.

The trio’s debut album features an all original programme featuring six compositions by Naylor plus a further two from the pen of Beebee.

The album commences with Naylor’s composition “Big J”. I took the title as being a tribute to the late American jazz organist Big John Patton(1935-2002), although I could be very wrong. In any event it’s an uptempo piece with a languid, funky groove that honours the lineage of the jazz organ trio whilst also putting a contemporary twist on the proceedings. The estimable Beebee proves to be a highly capable Hammond player as he shares the solos with the leader, with Ford also featuring at the kit towards the close.

Also by Naylor “The Lost Chord” commences with the sounds of arpeggiated guitar and softly scheming organ, to which are added Ford’s cymbal shimmers and mallet rumbles. It’s a highly atmospheric piece, very different in feel to the opener, and represents an excellent example of this trio’s versatility. Naylor solos in gently exploratory fashion above the sounds of subdued organ washes and twinkling cymbals. Beebee subsequently takes over on Hammond but the mood remains pensive, with the focus remaining on colour and texture. It’s a very contemporary approach to the sound of the organ trio.

“Uncle John” (Patton again?, or maybe Scofield by the sound of it) has more in common with the opener and re-introduces the groove element. Introduced by Ford at the drum kit this piece is even funkier, with Ford laying down a sturdy backbeat as Ford and Beebee combine well before delivering their individual solos. Blues, rock and gospel flavourings all infuse this piece, suggesting the influence of the great American guitarist and composer John Scofield, who has also worked in the organ trio format. I suspect that the title is a homage to Scofield’s 2023 recording “Uncle John’s Band”, featuring bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Bill Stewart.

The pattern of alternating upbeat groove based numbers with more reflective offerings continues with “Scrumptious”, but even so this piece is hardly lacking in terms of energy. Nevertheless the solos are thoughtful and carefully constructed, with both Naylor and Beebee skilfully building the tension during the course of their features. Meanwhile Ford delivers a finely nuanced performance behind the drum kit, responding intelligently to the ebb and flow of the music.

Beebee’s first contribution with the pen is “Dappled Light”, a richly atmospheric and evocative piece that is reflective of its title. Gently swirling Hammond, FX drenched guitar and shimmering cymbals combine on the richly textured opening passage. Subsequently Naylor’s guitar soars Pink Floyd style above a church like organ backdrop and Ford’s deft and imaginative cymbal work.

Naylor takes up the compositional reins again on the quirky “Moty”, which incorporates the sound of a motor engine (probably that of a motorcycle) into the mix. Elsewhere guitar arpeggios and briskly brushed drums underscore Beebee’s organ soloing. Following the second bout of engine noise this two part piece resolves itself via a second section that begins quietly and reflectively before gradually building momentum and then gradually fading away once more. Naylor’s guitar takes the lead here, the playing exhibiting the same kind of melodic sensibility that informed the “Winter Dream” album.

“Beard Stroker” sounds suitably pensive at first,  with slow burning solos from Naylor and Beebee gradually imparting a greater momentum. Ford gives another responsive and intelligent performance behind the kit, his playing becoming more prominent towards the closing stages.

The album concludes with Beebee’s “Za’atar”, at over nine minutes in duration the disc’s longest track. This time round Ford’s drums and percussion are prominent early on, bringing a particularly distinctive flavour to this final piece. It’s an episodic composition that borrows from several sources, including rock and world music elements. There’s a strong rock influence within Naylor’s guitar soloing while Ford’s imaginative work on drums and percussion brings an exotic world music sheen to the proceedings. Beebee’s neatly constructed organ solo evolves into an engaging dialogue with Ford, with the leader acting as regulator.

Organza has been described as “an organ trio with a difference” and there’s a good deal of truth in that. Although recognisably in the lineage of the jazz organ trio tradition, particularly on the hard grooving tracks “Big J” and “Uncle John”, the group also brings a very contemporary sensitivity to the music. This is expressed via the intelligent original writing of both Naylor and Beebee who skilfully combine jazz with other influences in a series of compositions that are variously imaginative, absorbing and accessible. A strong sense of melody informs the writing and the themes provide the basis for some excellent soloing from both Naylor and Beebee, with Ford a responsive, intelligent and supportive presence behind the kit. It’s good to hear a Hammond being used to such good effect with Beebee skilfully capturing the full sonic potential of the instrument. There’s a quasi-orchestral quality to his playing as he combines with Naylor’s melodic lead lines, the guitarist’s sound also admirable in terms of its variety and depth. It all makes for far more than just an average ‘meat and potatoes’ organ trio session and one suspects that the trio’s live shows will be simultaneously exciting and absorbing.

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