Jim Mullen Quartet
For Heaven’s Sake
(Stunt Records)
★★★★

THE veteran Glaswegian guitarist Jim Mullen is on swinging form here. Recorded in Copenhagen with an organ trio, he plays an eclectic range of tunes from The Touch of Your Lips, Ellington’s Caravan and Bobby Timmons’ This Here, to unlikely versions of Swanee River and When in Rome.

Accompanied by Ben Paterson’s organ, Kristian Leth’s drums and the Paul Gonsalves-inspired tenor saxophone of Jan Harbeck, Mullen’s appetite for melody and lyricism is in full fettle.

But much more too. Hear Paterson’s groovy contributions to Jimmy McGriff’s Kiko, Mullen’s speedy interpretation of the ballad I’ll Close my Eyes which stomps along in a juicy chase, and Angel Eyes, with outstanding solo work from both.

It’s strange how the older Mullen gets, the greater is his artistry for expressing the soulfulness of beautiful songbook tunes with his ever-active thumb. Hear it to the full on this outstanding outing.

Caroline Kraabel/John Edwards
Sparrow Dance
(Crosshatch Records)
★★★★★

https://carolinekraabel.bandcamp.com/album/sparrow-dance 

HERE’s an extraordinary record. It comes in a home-made, gingham cloth sleeve and a cardboard envelope with an inken, avian design.

The unity of John Edwards’ bouncing, stepping, singing, plunging, sawing, percussive acoustic bass and Caroline Kraabel’s sad, singing, somnolent saxophone somehow expresses the pathos yet resilience of London bird life. Sparrows can’t sing, the songline goes, yet these two musicians give them a multilayered, reveried, throbbing voice which cries, observes and reflects, but never dies.

“The sparrow interaction was a dream I had,” says Kraabel. “We placed our music’s sheets of notes in the garden, on the ground. The sparrows walked over them — in doing so they chose the best music, showing us which parts to discard.”

You don’t hear many albums like this, so close to life and nature. Be quick though, there aren’t many copies. 

Matthew Muneses/Riza Printup
PAG-IBIG KO Vol.1 
(Irabbagast Records)
★★★★★

THE beautiful sleeve painting of a Filipino woman picking flowers, is only one dimension of the album PAG-IBIG KO VOL.1, by the harp/saxophone duo of Riza Printup and Matthew Muneses.

It’s a surprising combination giving added impetus and creative tension to the genre of Filipino love serenades known as “kundiman.”

Muneses, who arranged them, sees the songs as a riposte to “an era when anti-Asian sentiment has been on the rise in the United States. I’ve felt torn between being grateful to live here and angry at the injustices perpetrated.”

Printup’s soothing harpsong unifies with the melodism of Muneses’ horn to create serene sounds as a complete contrary to the maniacal voice of Trumpery.

Jazz was born from melody, from New Orleans creole songs, hymns and marches. Who would have thought it would come too a century later in notes blown and plucked from the far Philippines?