George Crowley Quartet - Paper Universe (2012)

It's a welcomed rarity when a debut album stands out amongst the crowd, glistening with maturity of concept, sound, emotion and empathy, and the young London-based saxophonist and composer George Crowley has accomplished this and more on Paper Universe, his first solo album. What's also refreshing is the album was recorded by a group of twenty somethings who have been developing their musical cohesion since their teenage years.

Paper Universe finds Crowley playing his colorful, characterful and melodic originals in the impressive company of peers who despite their age have impressive resumes and are long-standing collaborators. Crowley and Kit Downes (piano) in particular have been playing together regularly since the age of sixteen and have enjoyed a long musical friendship on which the music of the quartet draws heavily. The remaining band members, Calum Gourlay (bass) and James Maddren (drums) are associates made at music college during their time at The Royal Academy of Music where all four studied. Here they racked up countless hours honing their collective craft, the results of which are immediately apparent on the record.

The musical world of Paper Universe is playful and unpretentious, and the songs themselves take the listener on a journey from gentle and lyrical plains through to the tempestuous and fiery realms of freer improvisation, to more straight ahead jazz playing, referencing an impressive range of influences, all maturely and fondly treated by this engaging quartet.

Each member of the group plays flawlessly, yet it is Crowley's emotionally charged improvisations executed with the precision and wit one would equate to a saxophonist twice his age which lead the way on the album. With Paper Universe Crowley has certainly arrived.

George Crowley - tenor saxophone
Kit Downes - piano
Calum Gourlay - double bass
James Maddren - drums