DREAMSCAPES - black is the colour (Field Recordings) [Jazz]

We live in troubling times, but the UK jazz continuum shows no sign of distress. DREAMSCAPES are the latest outfit in a seemingly endless line of exciting artists taking inspiration from, and tipping their hats to the last seventy five years of Anglo-jazz endeavour, whilst bending the genre into exciting new forms.

Led by the restless Julien Durand and his guitar, DREAMSCAPES also includes the stunning vocals of Lucy-Anne Daniels, George Garford blowing his saxophone and flute, Cenk Esen tinkling the ivories, John Jones on bass duty and Jack Robson providing the percussive frame.

I wasn't aware of the folk tune, "black is the colour", whose original author has been lost in the sands of time, but it's an inspiring tune and an inspired choice of cover by DREAMSCAPES, not to mention the perfect vehicle to showcase the vocal talents of Daniels, given some low-key assistance from LAOD.

Ambient spirituality and spectral vocal layering float us into the song, Jones and Robson providing a warm, lethargic, half-heartedly edgy trip hop rhythm to anchor this low gravity reimagining. Esen for his part provides a warm, shapeshifting synthesized ambience whilst adding some traditional piano to provide some tellurian grounding, as Daniels breathes nu-jazz life into this traditional folk song.

Durand sits to the side, gazing admiringly at the ensemble content to inject just the faintest hint of guitar detail; Garford only joining in to inject some feathery flute on occasion, before dusting off his sax for the spiritual jazz finale. If you need some low gravity vocal jazz to ease you into the day, or close your eyes to in the late evening then look no further.

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Playlist Companion

Find DREAMSCAPES in the Slow Jazz Playlist.