Sultan Stevenson - Faithful One (2023)

Sultan is Londoner with roots in the Caribbean (his parents are of Barbadian and Vincentian descent). He is a product of both Tomorrow’s Warriors and the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy (JJJA). Sultan is the first to admit that he has absorbed the work of many of the greats of the jazz piano – there has clearly been time well spent living with the music of McCoy Tyner, Geri Allen, Herbie Hancock and Kenny Kirkland – but that is only a part of his story. His faith as a young Christian is ever-present, as is his deep appreciation of Black gospel music, bebop, swing, reggae, funk and hip-hop as well as the history of Africa and the African diaspora which are part of his identity.

Stevenson also knows that his way of being is quiet: “That is who I am,” he says. “I don’t really like loud noises.” “Guilty by Association” perhaps provides the clearest example of that dynamic. The piece starts in a jaunty, lopsided, McCoy Tyner-ish groove, but then finds a very special and quiet intensity.

What stays in my mind from hearing the trio live at the Jazz Cafe, with "Guilty by Association" as the opening tune, is that moment of repose. It was when I became aware of how successful Sultan Stevenson’s particular way of communicating with an audience can be. He wasn’t going to do it through display and bombast. Or by being over-effusive or attention-seeking. Quite the opposite. He did it his way, by creating music which tells a compelling story, with interlocking motifs, by using space, in essence by creating effective musical communication. The audience was instantly won over.

He clearly enjoys the trio setting with regular bandmates bassist Jacob Gryn and drummer Joel Waters. “The trio facilitates conversation,” he says. There is also a particularly deft clarity about the part-writing in the quintet with saxophonist Denys Baptiste and trumpeter Josh Short, particularly on the title track with its sinewy strength and its catchy melodic hooks.

The presence of Denys Baptiste on this record is important. As Sultan says: "He is part of a special group of people, born out of the first iteration of the Tomorrow's Warriors school. These are the musicians who have set the stage for my generation, and I was keen to have the record honour this great legacy. Especially on the track 'Prayer', the listener gets a small glimpse into how we, a group of younger players, respond and adapt to a musician whose presence with us and whose long and distinguished professional career connect us so directly to the vastness of jazz in the UK."

Faithful One is an unusually mature album from a musician who is completely aware of his heritage, but also a true original.

- Sebastian Scotney, 2022