Winner of the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Media, 2019

by Ian Mann

May 26, 2010

/ ALBUM

Expect to hear a lot more of these talented young players, both individually and collectively.

Young saxophonist and composer Leah Gough-Cooper was born in Dumfries and first came to public attention as a member of the Scottish National Youth Jazz Orchestra under the leadership of Tommy Smith. At the age of sixteen she followed in Smith’s footsteps when she was awarded a scholarship at the famous Berklee College Of Music in Boston, USA. Gough-Cooper graduated in 2009 and is now studying for a Masters in Jazz Performance at the New England Conservatory. She remains based in Boston but retains close ties with her native Scotland and has appeared at the Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lockerbie and Fettes jazz festivals.

Gough-Cooper has worked with some of the leading names in both the jazz and funk genres including Danilo Perez (as part of his big band), Vijay Iyer, Bootsy Collins and Fred Wesley. With her Berklee colleagues she has also toured in Aruba and Venezuela.

Human Equivalent was initially formed in 2007 and played a number of dates in Scotland as well as recording an album entitled “Psyclone”. The US version of the band, as heard here, was assembled in 2008 and features Gough-Cooper on alto and soprano saxophones alongside Serghio Jansen (electric guitar), Martin Nessi (electric bass), Alan Benzie (piano and keyboards) and dynamic young drummer Patrick Kunka.

Both Benzie and Kunka have Scottish roots and it was somehow inevitable that they would link up with Gough-Cooper after they all congregated at Berklee. Kunka is currently a final year student but has already released an acclaimed solo album “The Edge” which features Benzie and Gough-Cooper. This latest crop of talented young Scottish musicians are clearly ones to watch for in the future.

“Future Pop” is an album that reflects Gough-Cooper’s interest in both the jazz and funk genres. With Benzie frequently featuring on electric piano it’s essentially a fusion album that owes something to Headhunters period Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea’s fusion bands, Weather Report etc. If the music is lacking a little in terms of originality this is in part compensated by the quality of the musicianship. The playing from this precocious, highly trained young team is consistently terrific.

The album opens with the title track a breezy, attention catching opener powered by Kunka’s energetic drumming. Nessi and Benzie provide the funk element with propulsive bass and grinding Fender Rhodes. Gough-Cooper’s alto playing has often been compared with that of Kenny Garrett and she positively burns on her blazing opening salvo. Other solos come from Benzie, sparkling on electric piano and Jansen on heavily distorted guitar. Finally there’s a feature for the superfast drumming of nascent drum star Kunkel. It’s derivative but hugely arresting and enjoyable. 

“Only A Matter Of Time” lowers the temperature but is still insidiously funky. Benzie features on a variety of electric keyboards that add a kind of Weather Report style breadth of colour to the proceedings. Gough-Cooper’s alto smoulders rather than blazes but she still impresses with a well constructed solo.

Benzie switches to acoustic piano for the ballad “Leaf Blower” which also features a delightfully liquid, singing bass solo from the Chilean born Nessi. Benzie’s own piano solo is flowing and lyrical with Gough-Cooper happy to fulfil more of a background role.

“Night Surf” introduces a special guest in the form of tenor saxophonist George Garzone, one of Gough-Cooper’s tutors at Berklee (others included Joe Lovano, Kenwood Dennard and Tiger Okoshi). It’s a pure funk workout with gruff, powerful tenor from Garzone and biting soprano from Gough-Cooper as the two go head to head above the muscular grooves created by a rhythm section in which Benzie and Kunka are both outstanding. Great fun.

The brief ” This Big Sky” is a fleeting impressionistic moment with pure toned saxophone keening above “Albatross” style guitar. It’s intended perhaps a fleeting evocation of the seascapes of Scotland. That’s the image it conjures up for me anyway.

“Hollywood Ghost Dance” is back to the full on approach with Gough-Cooper blowing powerfully above the odd meter grooves of Kunka and his colleagues. After maintaining a low profile since the opening track Jansen forces his way back into the frame with a stunning guitar solo that draws heavily on rock and fusion influences and Kunka once again drums up a storm. The piece ends with a gentle reprise of the earlier “This Big Sky”.

“Politix Street” adds a contemporary edge to the band’s fusion leanings. The group impress with their urgency and there’s some great playing from Gough-Cooper, Jansen and Benzie above Nessi’s quirky, bubbling bass groove. It’s involving and refreshing and a good candidate for best track on the album.

The epic “For You And Me” weighs in at just under twelve minutes and has a sweeping, pictorial quality. It’s still in broadly fusion territory with Benzie again on electric piano but it’s closer in spirit to the story telling aesthetic of Metheny than it is to the speedball antics of other fusioneers. Jansen’s guitar wails and Benzie’s Rhodes trills above the rhythm section’s solid groove. Benzie also contributes a rhapsodic solo on acoustic piano and Gough-Cooper’s soaring alto is the glue that holds it altogether.

At a little over three minutes “Dream Trap” ends the album in exhilarating fashion. A quirky, Monkish theme is given a fusion-esque setting and acts as the vehicle for a series of brief and thrilling solos most notably from Gough-Cooper who is most impressive when blowing frenetically with only Kunka’s hyperactive drumming for company. There’s a squall of guitar from Jansen and a series of pounding drum breaks from the excellent Kunka as the album ends as it began with a whirlwind of youthful energy.

“Future Pop” may be derivative but there’s no denying that much of it is highly exciting with its blend of youthful chutzpah and a phenomenal amount of musical skill. These young musos can certainly play and there’s enormous potential here. Expect to hear a lot more of these talented young players both individually and collectively. Gough-Cooper and particularly the excellent Kunka seem to be making quite a name for themselves already.

For more information visit http://www.leahgoughcooper.com

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