Kevin Figes Quartet - Tables & Chairs (2021) [Hi-Res]

Kevin Figes returns with his fourth album as leader, producing a set of strikingly original and forward-looking pieces. Continually developing as a player and composer, this album produces his best work to date and further establishes Figes as a major force on the UK scene. On this album Figes returns to the quartet format with long-standing collaborator and brilliant improviser Jim Blomfield (piano) and, relatively new to the Bristol scene, Will Harris (bass) and Mark Whitlam (drums) who have rapidly become the most in-demand musicians in the South West and beyond. Together with the leader's assured alto and baritone saxophones they bring the compositions to life with empathy and energy, feeding on the experience they have had as a unit over the last two years. This album represents an exciting new phase in the writing and performance of Figes' compositions, and the formidable skills of the other band members join to produce a remarkable recording.