MATT BOOTH — Sun Prints (review)

MATT BOOTH — Sun Prints album cover Album · 2024 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
js
“Sun Prints” is the fourth album as a leader for bassist Matt Booth, and although he is usually know for his avant-garde fusion work, for this album he toned things down a bit, but not too much, as there are still a lot of interesting twists and turns to be found here. Joining Matt are Steve Lands on trumpet, Sam Taylor on tenor sax, Oscar Rossignoli on keyboards and Peter Varnado on drums. These musicians are typical of the post ‘new young lions’ generation, very comfortable with post bop as well as fusion and the avant-garde. There aren’t a lot of obvious influences to site her except Sam seems to favor Michael Brecker on the tenor. Matt wrote all the tunes himself and aimed for a unified ensemble sound rather than just a vehicle for his bass playing. In fact, he quite humbly holds himself to just two bass solos on here while giving the lion’s share of the solos to the horns.

Album opener, “In Tongues”, features an energetic DrumnBass rhythm and closes out with the horns furiously soloing at the same time. Likewise, the Wayne Shorter inspired waltz time of “For Your Consideration” works up quite a sweat for something in three time. “Ice Bear” cools things off with an almost trip-hop styled medium groove with floating atmospheric Fender Rhodes. Elsewhere on the album the band goes traditional post bop on “Old News” and brings in pedal steel guitarist Brian Seeger for the atmospheric “Interlude”. The steel guitar is a nice touch when it blends with the band, but sometimes it sounds like Brian is in another studio somewhere down the hallway.

Miles fans will dig “Optimal Chunks”, on which Steve purposefully channels Miles’ fusion work complete with echo effects and lots of dissonant electronics. But wait, there’s more, including a couple ballads and a Radiohead inspired number with more fast paced DnB drumming and frantic horn solos. The repeating hypnotic piano line in this one definitely recalls the Radio boys. The album closes out with a 12 tone composition as Matt still keeps that ‘outside’ element alive in his compositions.
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