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The GAB Trio – ‘The GAB Album’

The GAB Album, recorded in one day at the Cowshed studio, is the debut album from The GAB Trio, a band that’s been playing live, mostly around London, for a couple of years. Guitarist, composer and bandleader Clement Regert is probably best-known to jazz audiences for his role in Wild Card, a versatile group centred on Regert, drummer Sophie Alloway and organist Andrew Noble. The GAB Trio is a rather different kettle of fish, in terms of line-up and instrumentation, although the cover art for this, the trio’s debut album, does share some design features with the artwork to be found on Wild Card albums while the older band’s love of working with guest artists carries over to excellent effect onto The GAB Album.

The GAB Trio has the somewhat unusual line-up of two nylon-strung guitars, played by Regert and Gianluca Corona, along with Cajon and additional percussion from Steve Taylor. Regert describes its music as “an audience-friendly mix of flamenco/Brazilian infused tunes and reworked pop numbers.” Regert is responsible for the original tunes (co-writing “L’aube” with Corona and Bea Asurmendi). The four reworked pop numbers are all well-known, coming from the oeuvres of the Eurythmics, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Radiohead and Nirvana, although the GAB Trio gives each one a fresh and original treatment. Three guest musicians join the trio: Rosie Frater Taylor adds guitar to Regert’s pacey “12 Labours” (and there also seem to be some uncredited wordless vocals there, too). Asurmendi sings on Radiohead’s “Exit (music for a film)” and “L’aube,” for which she also wrote the lyrics, while Josie Frater adds lead and backing vocals to Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart’s “Here Comes the Rain Again.” All three make valuable contributions to the overall sound.

“Here Comes the Rain Again” is the cover version that stays closest to the original, albeit in a more spacious and laid back arrangement, with Frater’s vocals more restrained than Lennox’s while the way she sings “Doo doo doo do” is genuinely uplifting. The trio’s instrumental version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” strips away Nirvana’s aggression and power to create an altogether less threatening, more light-hearted, listening experience. The originals generally follow what might be termed the “cool and seductive” approach: the closing number may be titled “Manic Phase,” but it’s a very calm and melodic type of mania that’s on offer. The trio open with “The GAB Theme,” which could be taken as something of a statement of intent, its sprightly rhythm and attractive melody delivered by nylon-strung guitar and Cajon setting the tone for much of the remaining music.

It may be a miserable winter’s day outside, but with “The GAB Album” on the stereo, its warm and sunny indoors.

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One Response

  1. Dear London Jazz News & readers
    ‘Here comes the rain’ is beautifully sung by JOSIE FRATER (not Josie Taylor)
    It would be great if this could be amended in this review. This is a typo on the physical CD! 😊

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