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Trevor Watkis

Straight Ahead...Ride for Tone!

Blue Soundscape Records

'Straight Ahead...Ride for Tone' was was recorded in New York City with a line-up of some of New York's greatest musicians – Steve Wilson (saxophones), Darren Barrett (trumpet), Reuben Rogers (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums).

All compositions are by Trevor Watkis plus one arrangement of a Stevie Wonder song.

Review by Jack Massarik

Don't worry about the spacey title - this is fine, no-nonsense contemporary jazz by a British pianist-composer of unusual warmth, touch and taste, not to mention brilliant chord voicings.

Younger brother of singer Cleveland, Trevor Watkis is underrated in London but not in New York, where his all-star US line-up of altoist Steve Wilson (Dave Holland band), bassist Reuben Rogers (Dianne Reeves), drummer Lewis Nash (almost everybody) and trumpeter Darren Barrett (bright discovery) got together.

Apart from an unhackneyed Stevie Wonder song, Passionate Raindrops, it's all Trevor's music in a classical neo-Jazz Messengers style. The brisk Apartment 17, loping Latin ballad Fuchsia Song and 6/8 waltz Khadijah's Peace sparkle brightest among eight stylish vehicles for high-quality soloing.