1. Bleach Cake
2. That Ain’t It
3. Another Brother’s Mother
4. Cake Hole
5. Loubia
6. Can’t Believe in Faith
7. Thermos
8. Suki’s Suzuki
9. Equal and Opposite
Jim Barr - Basses, vibes
Clive Deamer – Drums, percussion
Pete Judge – Trumpet, glockenspiel
Jake McMurchie – Saxophones
Adrian Utley – Guitar
Tammy Payne – Vocals
Gina Griffin – Violin
This album won the 2008 BBC
Jazz Awards – Best Album. It has also received
rave reviews in the newspapers that take an
interest in jazz.
The Blessing certainly maintain
their intensity of performance throughout
the disc and the ensemble playing is interesting,
because it differs from track to track. There
are other influences here besides pure jazz,
rock for one, but there are many others, which
I could not even name. The band has been a
great success in jazz festivals and it is
easy to see where their lively performances
would score against what is put out as jazz
in many of them.
The compositions are all
created by band members and the performances
do not conform to any set of rules. They class
their music as post-jazz. That may be going
a bit far as I don’t think jazz has completed
its cycle yet!
The musicians are all very
accomplished. Jake McMurchie is an amazing
tenor player: it seems odd that we have not
heard of him before. Pete Judge is a more
than competent trumpet player and the rhythm
section cope with the many changes of musical
influence with great dexterity.
Every track has its highlights
but Can’t Believe in Faith was the
track I liked best. It kicks off with an exciting
groove and maintains that level all the way
through.
It is amazing that a group
of musicians from Bristol have come together
and made a record of such quality. As a critic
who often finds himself out of tune with the
performances of many contemporary artists,
I can see where these guys are coming from
and goodness knows where they are going to.
I hope they stick together so that we can
find out!
Don Mather
CD Reviews
Candid/Cake
CADC 78550
