An intoxicating homage to Ayr, Scotland by drummer, Alyn Cosker…
Alyn Cosker – Onta – Calligram #0020 – CD – 37:20 – ****1/2
(Alyn Cosker – drums, percussion, vocals, loops, piano; additional credits below)
Alyn Cosker, the drummer for the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, pays tribute to his native town, Ayr, on his new CD for Calligram Records. Titled, Onta, it’s a whirling dervish of a blending of jazz fusion, Scottish folk, and rock. As well as being a first call drummer for touring jazz artists, Alyn has backed Celtic artists, and other groups that go beyond category.
Ayr, a town on the southwest coast of Scotland, has a deep history going back to 1205. Robert Burns, the most famous bard of the country, was born there, and presently it is the 15th biggest city in the country, and a strong tourist resort city. Cosker does it proud with his musical vision here, as in under 38 minutes, it covers a lot of joyous musical ground.
Backed by his regular group of Tom Gibbs, on Fender Rhodes, and Ewen Vernal, on bass, Alyn adds thirteen more artists to contribute on the seven self written tracks. Of the additional musicians, fellow countryman, multi-instrumentalist, Paul Towndrow, has the most additional duties on saxophone, flutes, and chromatic whistle. Rachel Lightbody provides wordless vocals that add to the ambiance on three tracks.
The title track opens the CD, and brings a shimmering feel provided by the blend of keyboards with Milo Herak’s vibraphone. “Lullapalew” strongly brings to mind the legendary American jazz band, Weather Report, with Vernal’s “heavy” bass, Towndrow’s horn, and Gibbs’ keyboards.
Gibbs, again, works his magic on “And You.” His solo is super hot, and Matthew Kilner’s tenor sax brings this tune fully into a jazz mode. Late in the track, text from Robert Burns is added. “Cassillis” is quite dreamy, with bass and the Fender Rhodes, being propelled by Juliet Lemoine’s cello, and Cosker helps bring up the intensity as the track progresses.
“Downtown Ayr” is one of the highlights of this CD. It’s a literal “Scottish three ring circus,” with so much happening. Cosker is the ring leader with Jenna Reid-Sandilands’ fiddle, Paul Towndrow’s sax, and Rachel Lightbody’s wordless vocals, charging ahead. “Fool’s Full Heart” is a feature for American, Chad McCullough’s trumpet prowess fully on display. It’s an elegiac experience, using loops, while Cosker’s powerful drumming, and Lightbody’s vocals, almost have a Native American type chant feel, with vocal assist from Cosker.
A fitting finish is provided on “Larach do Thacaidean,” where guest vocalist, Karen Mathesen, sings the Gaelic lyrics over Alyn’s hand drumming. Guitarist, Davie Dunsmuir, brings contemporary rock electric guitar into the mix, before Mathesen helps take the tune out in Gaelic. Of course, most of us don’t understand Gaelic, but the spirit is still contagious.
Cosker’s love letter to his native hometown is a fun musical visit that can be shared no matter what where you were born. There is a little bit of many places covered on this winning issue…
—Jeff Krow
Alyn Cosker – Onta
Tracklist:
Onta
Lullapalew
And You
Cassillis
Downtown Ayr
Fool’s Full Heart
Larach do Thacaidean
Performing Artists:
Alyn Cosker – drums, percussion, vocals, loops, piano;
Ewen Vernal – bass;
Tom Gibbs – Fender Rhodes;
Paul Towndrow – whistle, alto sax, flutes, koncovka;
Miro Herak – vibraphone (#1);
Rachel Lightbody – vocals (#1,5,6);
Chad McCullough – trumpet (#6);
Matthew Kilner – tenor sax (#3);
Leon Thorne – tenor sax (#6);
Davie Dunsmuir -electric guitar (#7);
Dan Brown – effects, piano (#6);
James Lindsay – bass (#7);
Juliette Lemoine – cello (#4);
Karen Mathesen – vocals (#7);
Jenna Reid-Sandilands – fiddle (#5);
Jim Cosker – keys (#1)
