****
Imaginative and engaging 7 Jun 2006
This review is being written very soon after my first listen to the album, and it has made a fantastic impression on me. Somehow I'm reminded of Django Bates, in the way that the melody of each song gradually becomes more and more intertwined with abstract, weaving lines which leave the listener unsure if they are improvised or through-composed.
Andy Sheppard's saxophone playing provides the melodic thread of the album, and his warm, slightly laconic tone are very pleasurable to listen to. Up till now I've known Sheppard as a bit of a speed merchant, but the lightening technique is kept largely in reserve here. There is an interesting rapport between the two musicians which is most clearly demonstrated on the track "Spiritual" (where, incidentally, Sheppard blows most freely), and the musicianship of both players cannot be faulted.
The overall tone of the album is warmly relaxed, and slightly reminiscent of Keith Jarrett's "The Melody, At Night, With You", disc, not least in the programming of gospel tracks. This is rich material; it is expressive and thought-provoking, but there is no cloying sentimentalism.
A very enjoyable disc: I shall be returning to this for a long time to come, I am sure.
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