Nat Birchall

“Sacred Dimension”

(Gondwana Records GONDCD 006)

The Mancunian musicians Nat Birchall (saxophones) and Matthew Halsall (trumpet) have managed to create their own sub genre of jazz with a series of albums that have taken the modal jazz of Miles Davis and the “spiritual jazz” of John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders and updated it for the 21st Century.

Released on Halsall’s Gondwana record label “Sacred Dimensions” is Birchall’s third album to explore these musical areas and is arguably his best to date. He expands on the successes of the earlier “Akhenaten” and “Guiding Spirit” whilst introducing a largely new band featuring Corey Mwamba (vibes), Rachel Gladwin (harp), Nick Blacka (bass) and Andy Hay (drums).  Pianist Adam Fairhall remains on board having featured on Birchall’s previous two Gondwana recordings.

The programme consists of five lengthy Birchall originals, each characteristically spiritual/mystical in feel but with plenty of room for his impressive band to stretch out. Mwamba adds a distinctive and welcome new voice to the ensemble sound and Gladwin, who guested on “Guiding Spirit” as well as appearing on a number of Matthew Halsall’s albums, has now become a fully fledged member of the group. Her harp playing is equally distinctive, reminiscent not only of Alice Coltrane but also of the African kora. Another distinctive element is the use of percussion. Rather than using a professional percussionist as he did on “Guiding Spirit” Birchall handed out bells and shakers to the band members (plus Gladwin’s brother Rueben who was present in the studio) and asked them to play when they felt it appropriate, a much freer, less skilled and even raw approach. 

The album commences with “Ancient World” which is based on the Phrygian mode and is a first take. Underpinned by Fairhall’s piano chords the tune features Birchall’s “middle eastern” sounding soprano saxophone and incorporates eloquent first solo statements from Mwamba and Gladwin. The piece also offers the first audible evidence of Birchall’s percussion experiment, one that seems to work brilliantly.

The title track was inspired by the concept of “elevation” and features Birchall on John Coltrane inspired tenor, teasing meaning from delicate melodic fragments. Pianist Fairhall drinks deep from the spiritual well with a probing solo mid tune accompanied by the low rumble of Hay’s drums and the shimmer of the group percussion.

“Dance Of The Mystic” is even more obviously Coltrane inspired with a modal vamp providing the backdrop for an impassioned tenor work out by the leader. Fairhall’s piano solo combines lyricism with rhythmic drive and Gladwin’s harp shimmers in and out of focus. Blacka, previously heard with Manchester’s Magic Hat Ensemble, and the powerful but flexible Andy Hay provide the necessary rhythmic stimulus. 

Inspired by a John Masefield poem the graceful “Peace In Nineveh” features the leader on pure toned soprano followed by Fairhall at his most flowing and lyrical. Mwamba is as inventive as ever on vibes and engages in an engrossing and often sparky dialogue with Hay at the drums. Birchall’s soprano restores spiritual equilibrium in the closing restatement of the theme.

The concluding “Radiant Will” takes its title from a phrase in an essay on Coltrane by the celebrated American jazz critic and cultural commentator Stanley Crouch. The music is dramatic and highly spiritual with Fairhall’s rippling, Tyner-esque piano joined in dialogue by the drum explosions of Andy Hay. But the focus of the piece is Birchall’s powerful tenor explorations with Gladwin’s harp providing a welcome sweetening touch.

It would be tempting to criticise Birchall as a revisionist but few have chosen to do so. Instead most commentators have noted how skilfully Birchall has taken his love of Coltrane and updated his legacy for the 21st Century. There is a genuinely spiritual feel to Birchall’s music (and to Matthew Halsall’s too, for that matter)  that clearly has great resonance for contemporary jazz audiences. Halsall’s performance, with Birchall on saxophones, was one of the highlights of the 2011 Mostly Jazz Festival in Birmingham and attracted many new worshippers to the Gondwana shrine.

I like Birchall’s updating of the Coltrane myth and it seems that many other contemporary jazz followers clearly feel the same way.

     

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