Malaga Archive

MALIJA (Lockheart/Hoiby/Noble) – Instinct – Edition

by Audiophile Audition | Sep 22, 2017 | Jazz CD Reviews

MALIJA (Lockheart/Hoiby/Noble) – Instinct – Edition Records EDN1096 – 49:29 (9/8/17) ****½; Outstanding trio jazz with a chamber music discipline and compositional reach. (Mark Lockheart: saxophones/ Jasper Hoiby: double bass/ Liam Noble: piano) The players comprising the trio Malija—Mark Lockheart, Liam Noble and Jasper Hoiby—are major figures on the U.K. jazz scene. Readers of these pages are likely to remember the accolades bestowed on the Jasper Hoiby’s 2016 release “Fellow Creatures.”  The release here of the drummer-less trio is typical of the UK label Edition, smart and disciplined improvised music unconstrained by post-bebop conventions. This is the group’s second outing, but from the evidence of both recordings, we can surmise that this is a veteran working unit. No one is calling out standards in the studio; Instead, each player contributes original and intricate charts to the session. The arrangements are very well done. The opening line of Kindred Spirit, with its exacting unisons and jagged rhythm, is a good indication of things to come. No drums are needed as this trio are adept at managing a swinging pulse. Hoiby’s bass is a huge driving force throughout; he alternates between snappy ostinato and unison lines. TV Shoes is a marvel of […]