Release Date: 12 April 2024
Label: Whirlwind Recordings
Packaging Type: Digipak
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 5065014356272
Genres: Jazz Contemporary
Release Date: 16 August 2024
Label: Whirlwind Recordings
Packaging Type: Slip Sleeve (CD or Vinyl)
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 5065014356289
Genres: Jazz Contemporary
Description
Real groups like Empirical are a rarity in contemporary jazz, where musicians so often come together for single projects then disperse again once they are done: groups that endure for fifteen years, without slackening in their quest for the new and the fresh, are all but unheard of.
Having started their journey in 2007, Empirical now makes a triumphant return, re-taking their rightful place at the centre of the UK scene with 'Wonder is the Beginning'. Their first full-length album since 2016, is a mature musical statement that shows the band's fire is still undimmed and their commitment to maintaining the legacy while forging their own unique path is as strong as ever.
The personnel of the quartet, for whom sharp tailoring has become something of a trademark, has remained the same for fifteen years. Nathaniel Facey (alto sax), Tom Farmer (double bass), Lewis Wright (vibraphone) and Shaney Forbes (drums) confound listeners with a telepathic empathy that can only be attained after countless performances together.
On 'Wonder is the Beginning' their palette is expanded by the presence of two remarkable guests. Alex Hitchcock contributes his voice on tenor sax to represent the rising generation of virtuoso players, while Jason Rebello adds his unmistakable presence on piano as well as the towering reputation he's built over a thirty-five year international career.
This album illustrates the breadth and vision that make Empirical such a potent creative force and underlines that longevity in the challenging world of top-tier contemporary jazz is no fluke. Reinforced by the inspiring contributions of their special guests, it's a powerful statement of faith in the music's ability to adapt, to inspire, to express the ineffable, to engage and to grow.
Nathaniel Facey: alto saxophone
Lewis Wright: vibraphone
Tom Farmer: double bass
Shaney Forbes: drums
Jason Rebello: piano (1-3, 5-7)
Alex Hitchcock: tenor saxophone (1, 3, 4)
Press:
"The (not quite) title track Wonder Is The Feeling sums up the virtues of the album as a whole, notably including some lovely playing from all of the quartet plus Rebello, who takes the first solo. The track moves through several moods, each player contributing. Forbes ensures the pace with some very light touch swing, unobtrusive but driving, as he is throughout the CD." - UK Jazz News
"Their versions of Farmer's attractive, dreamy, mood-setting themes - boosted by Lewis Wright's painterly free-flowing vibraphone - touch on classical music as well as a broad net of 1960s jazz modernism...The urgency and tight-knit ensemble play are still there, even if it's a more mature, reflective development on previous albums." - **** Jazwise
Description
Real groups like Empirical are a rarity in contemporary jazz, where musicians so often come together for single projects then disperse again once they are done: groups that endure for fifteen years, without slackening in their quest for the new and the fresh, are all but unheard of.
Having started their journey in 2007, Empirical now makes a triumphant return, re-taking their rightful place at the centre of the UK scene with 'Wonder is the Beginning'. Their first full-length album since 2016, is a mature musical statement that shows the band's fire is still undimmed and their commitment to maintaining the legacy while forging their own unique path is as strong as ever.
The personnel of the quartet, for whom sharp tailoring has become something of a trademark, has remained the same for fifteen years. Nathaniel Facey (alto sax), Tom Farmer (double bass), Lewis Wright (vibraphone) and Shaney Forbes (drums) confound listeners with a telepathic empathy that can only be attained after countless performances together.
On 'Wonder is the Beginning' their palette is expanded by the presence of two remarkable guests. Alex Hitchcock contributes his voice on tenor sax to represent the rising generation of virtuoso players, while Jason Rebello adds his unmistakable presence on piano as well as the towering reputation he's built over a thirty-five year international career.
This album illustrates the breadth and vision that make Empirical such a potent creative force and underlines that longevity in the challenging world of top-tier contemporary jazz is no fluke. Reinforced by the inspiring contributions of their special guests, it's a powerful statement of faith in the music's ability to adapt, to inspire, to express the ineffable, to engage and to grow.
Nathaniel Facey: alto saxophone
Lewis Wright: vibraphone
Tom Farmer: double bass
Shaney Forbes: drums
Jason Rebello: piano (1-3, 5-7)
Alex Hitchcock: tenor saxophone (1, 3, 4)
Press:
"The (not quite) title track Wonder Is The Feeling sums up the virtues of the album as a whole, notably including some lovely playing from all of the quartet plus Rebello, who takes the first solo. The track moves through several moods, each player contributing. Forbes ensures the pace with some very light touch swing, unobtrusive but driving, as he is throughout the CD." - UK Jazz News
"Their versions of Farmer's attractive, dreamy, mood-setting themes - boosted by Lewis Wright's painterly free-flowing vibraphone - touch on classical music as well as a broad net of 1960s jazz modernism...The urgency and tight-knit ensemble play are still there, even if it's a more mature, reflective development on previous albums." - **** Jazwise
Tracklisting
Tracklisting
Empirical
Sultan Stevenson
Linley Hamilton
Lakecia Benjamin
Michael Olatuja
Samara Joy
Josephine Davies
Alice Zawadzki
Empirical
Empirical
Empirical
Empirical
