Paul Booth - 44 (2022) [Hi-Res]

Following on from my album ‘Trilateral’, recorded when I was 33 years old, 11 years later I thought ‘why not carry on with a theme’. My good friend Andrew Bain (also one of the drummers on this album) suggested recording a double quartet album, with both quartets playing at the same time. I began the challenge of trying to write for such a line-up. Although I have written for large ensembles before, writing for two bass players and two drummers was another story. I did some research, looking for inspiration, and found some good records. However, there aren’t too many albums out there with two bass players. I decided to use the electric and occasionally the upright as another ‘horn’ in some sections and then swapping roles in others, occasionally letting them play together. With the fine artistry of Flo and Dave, there never seems to be a moment where they are in each other’s way. In my opinion, it’s simply clean and classy. The same can be said for the two drummers who seamlessly worked together as if they had been doing it their whole lives. I just let them get on with it and they figured out how to make each piece work in a matter of minutes.

Ross and Oli provided beautiful colours throughout the album, with blinding solos while always complementing one another and the whole band in their accompanying roles. In choosing the musicians who appear on this album, I wanted to have a combination of some of my long-standing friends/collaborators and some of the younger musicians from the UK jazz scene who have really impressed me. This brings us to Alexandra, the youngest from this ensemble, who played so exquisitely with a maturity way beyond her years. I’m extremely proud of this whole ensemble and the music we created in one afternoon and ‘live’ in one room.

Paul Booth - tenor/soprano saxophones
Alexandra Ridout - trumpet/flugelhorn
Ross Stanley - piano/Hammond B3 Organ/Wurlitzer electric piano
Oliver Mason -guitars
Flo Moore - electric bass
Dave Whitford - upright bass
Shane Forbes - drums
Andrew Bain - drums