(Domino)

Intercontinental collaboration results in optimistic jazz outing

It was a few years back that Scottish jazz maestro Bill Wells got together with Japanese ensemble Maher Hash Shalal Baz and made a record called Osaka Bridge. They must have had a fun time together because they’ve reunited for another instrumental pseudo-jazz record. Maher Hash Shalal Baz is led by composer Tori Kudo, who calls himself the “King Of Errors”, and this record does have a certain degree of loose, playful spontaneity to it in which a mistake, either in playing or composition, is of no consequence. At no stage does it feel serious or purposeful. In fact, there’s something about this album’s chirpy pleasantness that reminds me a lot of a casual anime soundtrack. Opener Rye & Guy is surprisingly morose considering how upbeat the rest of the record is. The lazy, out of tune swirls in Poxy and the endearing vocals of On The Beach Boys Bus are both strong moments. Family Sighs is an interesting piece too, but ultimately Gok feels like a release these musicians made for themselves; it’s hard for the listener to pull much out of it when it’s so airy and casual.

MICHAEL PINCOTT

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