Jim Mullen Quartet – ‘For Heaven’s Sake’

First, a disclaimer: It’s impossible for me to talk about Jim Mullen without being entirely subjective. He’s quite simply been my favourite guitarist and a hero of mine for 40 years.

When I was about 18 I went to see Jim play with Mike Carr for the first time and was simply blown away. I approached him in the break and asked what I should be practicing as    I’d only recently started to try to fathom out how to play jazz on the guitar. He looked at me and said one word – TUNES!

And, therein lies the secret to Jim’s wonderful playing. Every note he plays is in the pursuit of something melodic. That, coupled with an innate sense of swing and a profound feeling for the blues make Jim one of the greatest of all jazz guitarists.

This latest release, although under Jim’s name, is in fact a true group effort with American organist Ben Paterson alongside saxophonist Jan Harbeck and drummer Kristian Leth, both from Denmark, playing WITH Jim and not merely behind him.

One is reminded of those classic Grant Green or Wes Montgomery recordings from the 50’s and 60’s as the band work their way sensitively through a selection of great standards (the solitary original being Jim’sown Medication). In this day and age of jazz needing to be constantly ground-breaking it’s a relief to listen to an album that is more ground-affirming!

Nothing outstays its welcome here. The heads are shared, the solos are short and concise, the arangements are simple yet perfectly crafted and the whole thing, 11 tracks in total, demonstrates that often-missed dynamic of ‘bubbling’ away without ever descending into bombast.

It’s unecessary to single out any track on this record; each follows the last so well that it really should be listened to more as a suite than a collection of individual numbers. One gets the sense that the quartet are firmly ‘on the same page’ throughout. There’s no competition here; no grandstanding. Each and every selection is performed in the pursuit of something way beyond ‘check me out’! What a refreshing thing that is for listeners who love “tunes”?

As for Jim himself, this album proves he is playing as well, if not better, than ever. All those years at jazz’s coalface leave us with a musician at the peak of his craft. At an age where many musicians might start to slow down, Jim just keeps on going; out there night after night, serving the tune and improvising at the highest level.

For Heaven’s Sake is a very welcome addition to Mullen’s recorded legacy and will surely introduce the rest of the group to a wider audience. They certainly deserve it. If nothing else, it will serve as a reminder that jazz, in its purest form, is safe in the hands of musicians like Jim Mullen and this fabulous quartet. Will somebody, please, bring this group to the UK!

from https://ukjazznews.com