The Shadowlands trio, of Robin Fincker on tenor and clarinet, Lauren Kinsella as vocalist and Kit Downes on organ and piano, follows in a venerable line of similar UK trios in which the voice intertwines, and the words are enhanced by piano but also by another instrument, and in particular a saxophone. Recordings which immediately come to mind are those by Norma Winstone with Tony Coe and John Taylor (“Somewhere Called Home”); also Winstone again and more recently in her long-standing trio with Klaus Gesing and Glauco Venier. There is also “Quercus”; with June Tabor, Iain Ballamy and Huw Warren; and “Duw A Wyr”, in which Mark Lockheart, Huw Warren and Lleuwen Steffan made Welsh hymn tunes into love songs.
Shadowlands takes this lineage further, with a real sense of adventure as they re-assess folk music from across the centuries from their perspective as contemporary jazz musicians.
Having started over 6 years ago with an invitation from Jazzdor Festival in Strasbourg, they were, like so much else, thwarted by Covid. The initial aim had been just to update old folk songs, a great love of Fincker in particular, who also set up the group Bedmakers, but they are able to reinterpret from the perspective of the 21st century rather than some groups which aim for “authenticity”. So they were only able to pick up the initial concept when they went into the studio to record their first album, “Ombres” (BMC label) which came out in 2024 (EPK below).
A year on, Shadowlands has now quickly progressed further: they have added some spoken word with atmospheric instrumental backing from Fincker and Downes and a few more originals, “which could be folk songs”. There are also linking improvisations inspired by the older texts. The repertoire now extends to a sumptuous song by Ravel.
The choice of lyrics, mainly by female poets or original, is very much in the hands of Lauren Kinsella, with Fincker and Downes focussing on the music. There is material from Ireland, sung in Gaelic, starting indeed with one from the early 19th century. Then the journey continues across the Irish Sea to England and Scotland, and then on to France, with the Ravel.
Their concert at Opus Jazz Club in Budapest took as its foundation the material from their first album. And what becomes quickly clear is how so many of the emotions and concepts from older material are timeless, such as love and loss.
This sold-out gig had attracted a curious but sympathetic audience, voraciously lapping up the music, even if few of them had English as their first language. But perhaps that’s also due to the imaginative nature of the club’s programming and impeccable ambiance, as I had already found out on my first visit last year.
It’s clear that all three enjoy playing together. They throw in a few surprises, such as ending with “The First Day” by Molly Drake, whose music has been close to Kinsella’s heart for several years.
The concert included a number of songs that will be on a new, second album by the trio, which is to be released in early 2026, and which had been freshly recorded at the studio next door, in the same building of the Budapest Music Centre where the club is situated.
Shadowlands plays Kings Place on 3 April.
Ombres (EPK here) is available on the BMC label.
