Bad Trad is the name of the band, as well as the album – led by London-resident drummer Jay Davis who here offers the first recording with a top drawer quartet of James Allsopp on reeds, Mike Soper on trumpet and Huw V. Williams who explore the leader’s own compositions.
It’s a consistently engaging set from the opener: the briskly boppish theme of Lexie’s Song quickly gives way to a fierce saxophone-drum dialogue that shows how at home these players are with each other. The re-entry of bass and then trumpet restores a pianoless sound reminiscent of fellow drummer-leader – and Davis’ one-time mentor – Jeff Williams’ groups.
Also like those, the sound is varied by the diverse feel of the compositions. Davis hints at found melodies in a note: “compositions include pieces using melodies overheard being hummed by strangers in the street, a robotic construction from a laptop and a three year olds’ piano improvisation”. Whatever the sources, the results are nicely varied The brief Big Top has a folkish, almost early music melody. Bredon, the longest cut, opens with brooding, melancholy unison between flugelhorn and bass clarinet which gives way to well-developed solos by both horn players, sustaining the mood with the aid of ruminative bass and featherweight drumming. Happy Man Finsbury Park flirts with a calypso feel, with the drums much more assertive. The enigmatically titled Gone Are The Days Of Fresh Soup has fruitful interaction between the horns, while The Way A.I. Am ventures into freer territory.
Each composition is nicely crafted, and all four players contribute equally to their creative realisation. It’s a very well-balanced foursome, although worth noting that Huw Williams’ bass is well up in the mix, as is desirable when a bassist has such a big, beautifully rounded sound
With two additional tunes rounding out the set to just a shade over half an hour, and half a dozen pieces that last one, two or three minutes, it’s perhaps a slightly tentative offering for a composer-leader’s first release, bringing together compositions set down over the last decade. That aside, all nine cuts here have delightful moments, and the collection suggests that Davis has – with Fresh Sound New Talent – found the label with just the right name for this band debut. And if you received this CD as a calling card for a possible gig, maybe the main point of them nowadays – I reckon you’d book the band immediately.
The album launch will be at The Vortex on Thursday 17 April
