If you’ve heard Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, you’ll have heard Derek Nash. He’s a prominent member. But to get some idea of the sheer breadth of his accomplishment as a saxophonist, composer and bandleader, you should hear this. From smooth cool to groovy funk, to ingeniously recast standards, to one quite gorgeous ballad, the music fizzes with energy, even at its most restrained. Pianist David Newton, bassist Geoff Gascoyne and drummer Sebastiaan de Krom complete the band, along with guest trumpeter Martin Shaw, and it all goes to show what five brilliant jazz musicians can do when left to get on with it. The album title, in case you wondered, is a quotation from the collected wit and wisdom of Thelonious Monk.
