Dominic Ashworth - Psyche (2019)

Tracklist

01. As Night Falls
02. Concerto de Aranjuez Slow Movement
03. Loose Blues
04. It Ain’t Necessarily So
05. Airegin
06. In a Sentimental Mood
07. I’m in the Mood for Love
08. Crimson Kite
09. Rise
10. Caravan
11. I’m Just a Lucky so and So
12. Centrepiece

Ashworth often records for other leaders, notably Fairweather, but seldom fronts his own albums, so this release is to be welcomed. He's a busy presence on the jazz scene, if inclined to be self-effacing, a guitarist whose casual virtuosity and quiet authority can easily be taken for granted. This album, only the second under his own name, works as a statement of intent, it seems to me, moving from the lyrical fluency of his ‘As Night Falls I Dance’, with neat piano from Dorian Ford, through to pieces by Bill Evans, Sonny Rollins, Ellington and, as the closer, Harry Edison's immortal ‘Centerpiece’. The line-ups may vary, but the playing stays at a distinctive level throughout: just to hear Ashworth essaying the slow movement from Rodrigo's ‘Concierto de Aranjuez’ acoustically, is a joy in itself, again with concise piano from Ford. ‘Loose Blues’ by Evans is more animated, cleverly routined, with Ford and Dhami moving well. Iddenden eases winningly through ‘In a Sentimental Mood’, Ashworth soloing calmly alongside, as he always does, reverting to acoustic guitar on his solo piece ‘Crimson Kite’. Ford has Ashworth's lyrical ‘Rise’ to himself. ‘Caravan’ opens with marimba, the theme carried by Foster's bass sax before Fairweather and Gower break it up, Ashworth and Milverton emerging momentarily from the melee as Foster and Kearsay-Lawson take turns to solo.

Odd couples perhaps, but intriguing. ‘I'm Just a Lucky So and So’ has Fairweather vocalising in husky, Don Redman fashion, Milverton flourishing as Ashworth finds his inner-raunchiness before ‘Centerpiece’ is led off by the Mobley-like Iddenden's tenor in an Ashworth-led trio. Elegantly presented in a fold-out digipak, the instrumentation moving from the low-key trio of the three first tracks to full-on combo swing before the end, boppish standbys interspersed with classic themes, and nothing over-long, there's sufficient here to make this an album to cherish and a pleasing endorsement of Ashworth's guitar capability.

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