Quentin Collins, one of Britain’s finest trumpet players, assembled what must be his dream band for this album. Alongside him are the phenomenal Leo Richardson on tenor saxophone and Meilana Gillard on alto. The pianist Dan Nimmer, bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Willie Jones III are all New York-based. We’ve come to expect first-rate playing from today’s jazz musicians, but there’s more than that here. The combination of virtuosity, togetherness and sheer spirit that emerges from these nine tracks is quite remarkable. Applied to the resourceful compositions of Collins and Tom Harrison, it makes six instruments sound like an ever-changing cast of dozens.
Needless to say, they’re all brilliant soloists, and it’s the perfect blend of improvised solos with written passages that brings that extra sparkle. I love the canny way a solo will often emerge from the midst of the ensemble, or the band will creep in beneath a solo, as happens in Nimmer’s piano feature. Quentin Collins is in great demand as a player, of course, but so much creative thought has gone into this album that I hope he can find time for another one soon.
