By GRAHAM REID
(Herald rating: * * *)
The young Wellington trio - which made the finals in the music awards' jazz album category with last year's It's a Summer Feeling - return with their fourth album, which opens with an immediate winner: guest singer Barnaby Weir of Black Seeds playing a
soulful, straight bat to Bobby Hebb's classic Sunny before tenor saxist Daniel Yeabsley extends it just-so. Real nice.
That sets the mood, and from there on it's light and deft beats from drummer Paul Hoskin, supple sax (and zen-like flute on Mystical Soul), some bossa-organ from Yeabsley-twin Chris, and an astute sense of the pop potential for jazz-framed simplicity (the amusing King Rollo). The other vocalists also elevate proceedings: Sweet Thing is a simple, soulful song featuring Dallas Tamaira of Fat Freddys Drop, and the short selection goes out with the lyrically over-ambitious and overlong Before Me sung by the ethereal Lotus, who has previously appeared on albums by Rhian Sheehan and The Nomad.
The best tracks are the two parts of They Call it Chicago where Chris shows off a few Jimmy Smith funky licks on organ and brother Dan enjoys the extra space and crisp pace.
While some here sound strained (Before Me) or undernourished (the go-nowhere Tocky Locky), most of this exists at an enjoyable and undemanding place somewhere between a muted nightclub jazz trio and parts of TrinityRoots' True. It's a nice place to be.
Label: Loop
