Raynald Colom - A Million Dreams (2022)

Trumpeter Raynald Colom immediately captivates with the hauntingly beautiful dream-like opening notes of his live recording, A Million Dreams. Colom demands the listener's attention throughout the cohesive eight-track outing, alongside pianist Tony Tixier, Joe Sanders on double bass and Francesco Ciniglio on drums. French- born and Barcelona-based, Colom is a seasoned musician inspired by many genres and artforms, but with firm roots in flamenco.

Unbounded by strict genre definition, Colom is a self-confessed obsessive of Scriabin's 'Color Symbolism' and a firm believer in the free-flowing equal journey of music. A Million Dreams documents a truly magical live experience, transporting listeners to the Italian town of Pontinia, where the album was recorded. Colom adopts a fluid approach to his craft, preferring to be guided by the music and environment around him. This working quartet of many influences is free of hierarchy and the tacit interplay between the four is crucial to Colom.

The record opens with Colom's "Wholeness". The immersive track is based on Scriabin's colour concept and is inspired by sunrise in Barcelona, specifically the colour between blue and orange: "it's really an ode to my city Barcelona, where I grew up musically." The momentum fluctuates organically as depictions of the city awakening are realised through metropolitan soundscapes.

"Flamenco is part of my musical DNA," states Colom and he and Ciniglio demonstrate this with their enthralling dynamic driving rhythms on Paco de Lucia's 'Zyriab/el Alcazar de Sevilla', giving Colom an opportunity to show off his exceptional flamenco chops, the other tracks include "September in the Rain", which serves as a tender tribute to Roy Hargrove.

The album title comes from an interview with Duke Ellington in which he's asked, "what goes through your head when you play?" and Ellington answers: "a million dreams." Colom says, "I love that concept. Basically, that's what we're trying to do. We're not thinking about notes, we're thinking about dreams."