Binker Golding: Abstractions Of Reality Past & Incredible Feathers

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Daniel Casimir (b)
Sam Jones (b)
Binker Golding (ts)
Joe Armon-Jones (ky)

Label:

Gearbox

November/2019

Media Format:

CD

Catalogue Number:

GB1555

RecordDate:

2018

Saxophonist Golding shows his versatility on an enjoyable set. This is a markedly different proposition to the duos formed with Moses Boyd and Elliot Galvin insofar as there is less abstraction in the material, and the additional resources of the quartet are deployed with suitable flair and restraint. Mostly set at ambling mid-tempo, the tunes are all Golding originals that show the strength of the blues as an ongoing source of musical inspiration as the leader investigates its various related idioms, from 1960s hard bop to 1990s neo-soul, all the while retaining a strong composer's signature. Themes are clearly mapped, sometimes with a dancing quarter-noted led character, sometimes with more wistful long tones, and Golding's improvisations are well-paced developments that build steadily rather than rushing towards a crescendo, allowing effective input from a rhythm section whose cohesion has been honed through extensive work with artists such as Nubya Garcia. The occasional forays into reggae-inflected territory also appeal, and if Sam Jones' crackling rimshots are particularly resonant then the imprint of legendary engineer James Farber, who mixed this in New York after the session was done at Abbey Road, is worth noting. At its peak this album has some of the modernist gospel finesse of Billy Harper, but Golding asserts himself convincingly as a writer-player who has an appealing voice of his own.

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