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Empirical

Empirical

Destine-E Records 777-001001001

The five-piece band Empirical have just won the inaugural EBU/European Jazz Competition at the North Sea Jazz Festival, the jury citing 'impressive high overall quality, great interaction, their own sound paired with irresistible presentation ° brilliant creativity' as the reasons behind its decision, and this, the band's debut album on Courtney Pine's Destine-E label, provides yet more evidence of all these qualities.

Those who've heard the band on their various Vortex gigs will already be familiar with their approach: they're snappy and even slick, yet their original music, despite the immediacy of its appeal, is relatively complex, revealing fresh subtleties every time it's experienced; they're utterly contemporary, yet discernibly influenced both by the classic jazz of the 1950s and '60s (Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Ornette Coleman) and by later developments (particularly the slithery eloquence of Steve Coleman); they're irresistibly entertaining yet seriously dedicated to proselytising in both musical and philosophical fields.

This eponymous album showcases the band's neat, smart sound perfectly, Shaney Forbes's sharp drumming and Neil Charles's solid bass work providing the perfect platform for Nathaniel Facey's sinuous, slightly tart alto, Jay Phelps's pleasingly multi-textured trumpet and Kit Downes's vigorous piano, but what really impresses is the quality and variety of the band's writing.

Facey and Phelps provide much of the material, and they're adept at ranging between restless, slightly nervy music and more straightforward, joyous flair, leavened by the odd free-ish interlude and rumbustious ensemble passages, but Downes and Forbes also contribute memorable pieces, and the overall impression is of a band positively bursting with enthusiasm and creativity. Warmly recommended.