This is the third of four albums that I bought when I first got interested in jazz that have stayed with me.
Jason Rebello was a bit of a star on the UK jazz scene when he arrived with his first album at the age of 21. It was a time when UK jazz was on the up and more popular than it had been for a while. This was his third solo album and, although his first was produced by Wayne Shorter, he produced this himself. It’s brilliantly produced and was my go-to album for testing CD players and speakers.
There is a cleanness and simplicity to the album that I really like. Simplicity here is meant as a compliment. Afterall, Leonardo Da Vinci said that ‘simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’. It’s not all about showing off great playing, although he can really play, it’s about the music as a whole.
One of the many great tracks is his version of ‘Summertime’, which features Maxi Jazz from Faithless https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJmvzERnZpY
Around the time the album came out, I saw him play at the Greenbelt Festival. The band I was in then were playing somewhat further down the bill. So near the bottom in fact that we picked up a few printing jobs! None of the rest of the band were interested so I went off on my own to see his band. They were of course great.
Since then he has played with a wide variety of other people. He was in Sting’s band for a few years and later joined Jeff Beck’s band. He has even played with Chaka Khan as well.
More recently I saw him play live with sax player Jean Toussaint’s Roots & Herbs at the Taliesin in Swansea – a gig I could walk to from home. It was a great gig and Rebello’s playing was fantastic. After the show I went to chat with the band and to tell him what an important album ‘make it real’ was for me. This time though I didn’t even get as far as my usual incoherent mumbling. I just bought Jean Toussaint’s album Tate Song and then shuffled off. Something I clearly need to work on. ?
You can find more about Jason Rebello on his website http://jasonrebello.co.uk/
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