Scottish jazz trumpeter Malcolm Strachan has been playing professionally since leaving Leeds College of Music in 1996. He was one of the founders of the horn section of the funk band The Haggis Horns.
Malcolm has already played or toured with Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse, Corinne Bailey Rae, Jamiroquai, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Jess Glynne, The Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band, Black Honey, The New Mastersounds, Abstract Orchestra and Blue Note Records jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson.
His debut album 'About Time' saw the light of day in March 2020, and this is its successor. The album was officially released on January 27th on Haggis Records, and reached me through Willwork4funk.
The backing band consists of musicians Malcolm has known and worked with for over 2 decades. And they are: Atholl Ransome (tenor sax/flute), George Cooper (piano), Danny Barley (trombone), Courtny Tomas, (double bass), and Erroll Rollins (drums). Add guest percussionist Sam Bell and British jazz singer Jo Harrop. Malcolm wrote all tracks himself, covering a wide spectrum of jazz styles. It is reminiscent of jazz fusion from the seventies.
Malcolm opens with the Brazilian sounding 'Nossa Dança', a nice samba to which Jo Harrop adds wordless vocals. 'Soul Trip' floats on a relaxed rhythm, after which 'The Wanderer' plays a Latin rhythm, again with Jo Harrop in the background.
The ballad 'The Last Goodbye', with strings, seems straight out of a movie soundtrack, followed by the beautiful, gently hip-swaying bossa nova 'Elaine'. 'Cut to the Chase' picks up the tempo to a fun groove that reminds me of blaxploitation from the seventies. Closing track 'Maybe Next Time' is in the style of Tim Gelo and Cindy Bradley.
This CD will certainly appeal to lovers of contemporary jazz. Especially if they like Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, Art Farmer, and Miles Davis. This is already a highlight, and the year has just begun. So buy it!
Tracks:
Nossa Dança
Soul Trip
The Wanderer
The Last Goodbye
Elaine
Cut to the Chase
Maybe Next Time
Malcolm Strachan
Copied with the permission of the author from culturmania.