Xhosa call It’s a name that has been talked about for the better part of a decade now. After winning the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2018, it seemed as if everyone was waiting for the contemporary jazz artist to live up to his hype, or collapse for it. With each new album, Cole grew more confident as a player and songwriter. Now, on his third album – a love letter and reinterpretation of the music idol’s works, Thelonious Monk -We are starting to see the fruits of this praise and work ethic pay off.
The first thing you notice about…On moderGenius, (Volume 1)“How fun. After a little listening, you start to notice something that sounds like tap dancing on half the tracks. Don’t be fooled, this is tap dancing. The dancer in question is Liberty Styles. ‘Rhythm-a-Ning’ is where it taps Anything and everything after that flows into eleven minutes of gilded masterpiece: around the three-minute mark, Styles takes over and begins exploiting the particular rhythms and grooves that the band interacts with.
Styles isn’t the only guest appearing on “Come Sunday”: legendary singer Heidi Vogel (Cinema Orchestra, Austin Peralta, DJ Vadim). This is the most relaxed and relaxed playing on the album. Everyone takes their time. Vogel’s rising, light, sing-song voice swells and surrounds pockets of space and stillness. It is a special moment among a group of special moments.
The album’s sense of communal joy is due to Cole and his team of backing players. In addition to Cole on saxophone, the band includes Steve Saunders on guitar, Josh Vadivelo on double bass, and Nathan England-Jones on drums. The album was recorded after a 38-date tour of the UK, so the band is well-trained and knows first-hand the intricacies of each other’s playing.
“On a Modern Genius (Vol. 1)” sees Cole in the position of a top band leader. The songs are tight, complex, free, wild, delicate, and, above all, thriving. Since 2018, much has been written about Cole being one of the brightest lights in UK jazz. In 2021′K(n)ow they, K(now) we“And to follow in 2022”iPage‘there were flashes but on “On a Modern Genius (Vol. 1)” there is no denying his talent. Everything is bigger, narrower, more flexible and just in your face. Roll on ‘Vol. 2’.
8/10
words: Nick Roseblade
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