COMPOSERS: Kairos 4tet
LABELS: Naim Jazz
ALBUM TITLE: Kairos 4tet: Everything We Hold
WORKS: Everything We Hold
PERFORMER: Adam Waldmann (saxophone), Jasper Høiby (bass), Ivo Neame (piano), etc
CATALOGUE NO: NAIMCD191
The Kairos 4tet, named after the ancient Greek for ‘opportune moment’, often live up to their name, seizing the limelight in the UK jazz scene. This, their third album, follows on from a 2011 MOBO jazz award. Although more commercial in their inclusion of four vocal tracks and three vocalists, notably soul singer Omar, and strings, the band also stays true to its spirit of improvisation.
This group draws players from another (Greek-named) UK success story, Phronesis. Its bassist, Høiby is cheekily showcased in ‘J-Hø from the Block’, while pianist Neame lets loose in ‘Finding Neamo’.Kairos bandleader Adam Waldmann also includes a four-part Suite entitled ‘99’ (an obscure reference to the Occupy protest movement). Elsewhere he has enlisted Brit actor Rupert Friend’s help with lyrics, injecting a folk-ish quality.
From the outset this disc casts a wide net and deserves a broad appeal. Neil McKim