Harry Brunt

“Carolina Peaches”

(Clonmell Jazz Social -  Digital EP)

Harry Brunt – tenor saxophone, Billy Marrows – guitar, Flo Moore – bass, Rod Oughton – drums

I first became aware of the playing of saxophonist and composer Harry Brunt through his membership of Howl Quartet, a London based group featuring an unusual twin sax frontline, with Brunt (tenor) and Dan Smith (alto) joined by bassist Pete Komor and drummer Matt Parkinson. All of the band members write and The Jazzmann has favourably reviewed both of Howl Quartet’s album releases “Life As We See It” (2021) and “Airglow” (2023).

I’m pleased to report that Howl Quartet is still an ongoing concern and that the group is due to release its third album, “Night Song”, on 10th October 2025. I intend to undertake a full review of this recording in due course.

Meanwhile Brunt is also the leader of his own quartet featuring the talents of fellow rising stars Billy Marrows (guitar), Flo Moore (bass) and Rod Oughton (drums), all increasingly influential figures on the London jazz scene.  Marrows and Oughton are both bandleaders in their own right, while Moore is a prolific sidewoman.

The Jazzmann has also enjoyed reviewing various recordings and live performances featuring Marrows, Moore and Oughton in various guises,  so the emergence of this stellar quartet and the release of its debut recording is something to be celebrated.

Brunt and Oughton both studied in Cardiff and played on the South Wales jazz scene before moving to London. Brunt gained a degree in English Literature at Cardiff University before moving across town to study for a Master’s Degree in Jazz Performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music And Drama (RWCMD), also Oughton’s alma mater. Brunt also studied in London at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama where he obtained a second Masters Degree.

Brunt’s interest in jazz was first nurtured by multi-reeds player Pat Crumly, who visited the young Brunt’s school in southern England as part of an outreach project organised by Ronnie Scott’s. Brunt subsequently visited the Club to witness a performance by Joshua Redman, which fuelled his passion for the music even more.

Brunt’s saxophone tutors have included Crumly, Pee Wee Ellis,  Iain Ballamy, John Harle and Jean Toussaint and he has also studied with pianist Nikki Iles and drummer James Maddren.

Brunt has worked with vocalists Jean Carne, Cassandra Jenkins and Nel Begley and has also composed music for film and television.

Released via the auspices of the Clonmell Jazz Social organisation “Carolina Peaches” was recorded in August 2024,  just a week before the due date of Brunt’s daughter, Isabella. Brunt describes the music as being about “family and the passing of time” and he regards it as his most personal musical statement to date.

The EP commences with the beguiling “Pull Over For Carolina Peaches”, effectively the title track.
Brunt explains the inspiration behind this composition thus;
“Dedicated to time spent with family, road-tripping across my mother-in-law’s home state of North Carolina. The light in that part of the world is so beautiful, it inspired the artwork and the mood of this piece.”
Introduced by Oughton at the kit the piece features his hip hop inspired drum grooves, Moore’s slinky electric bass lines and Marrows’ guitar textures and shadings. The leader’s tenor sax soloing is melodic and fluent and although inspired by a trip to the US there’s an agreeable quirkiness about the piece that is quintessentially British and very much in the lineage of UK jazz post Loose Tubes. One senses that Brunt’s former tutor Iain Ballamy has been a significant influence upon him as both player and composer. Meanwhile Marrows also impresses with an urgent guitar solo that sees him continuing to make good use of his range of effects.

The lovely ballad “Echoes”, a tune dedicated to Brunt’s grandmother,  is gentler and more reflective, with Marrows’ guitar initially taking the lead, his clean, melodic lead lines allied to an ambient backwash. Moore and Oughton provide simple but effective rhythmic accompaniment. When Brunt’s tenor finally appears his tone is tentative and plaintive at first,  but becomes increasingly assured and fluent as the tune progresses, with the music gradually developing something of an anthemic quality.

“Perfectly Out Of Place”, with its darting melodic motifs exhibits the same kind of quirky playfulness as the opener.  Brunt describes his composition thus;
“Compositionally, this piece features a displacing melody, which I felt reflected how it feels to try and be comfortable in uncomfortable situations in both music and life.”
The performance is notable for Marrows’ lithe and imaginative guitar soloing, again making full use of the instrument’s sonic and textural possibilities. Moore adds a similarly fluent and impressive electric bass solo. Brunt’s contribution is less expansive than previously but his sax melodies represent the heart of the music.

Of the final track “Me Before B” Brunt writes;
“For the immense feelings of responsibility that comes with becoming a parent for the first time.”
The leader’s sax introduces the tune, quickly joined by drums, guitar and electric bass. Strong sax melodies combine with ambient guitar textures and the flexible and intelligent rhythmic contributions of Moore and Oughton. Brunt subsequently stretches out more expansively on tenor as the rest of the group continue to provide excellent support, before breaking away as a trio, with Oughton enjoying something of a drum feature towards the close as the music becomes more frantic.

The “Carolina Peaches” EP represents an excellent calling card for the Harry Brunt Quartet. Intelligent, frequently quirky, writing combines with some superb playing from all four members of a very well balanced and calibrated group. The band are also well served by the engineering team of Giles Barrett and Nate Wood.

Each of the four tracks impresses and the EP coheres as a collective whole. It’s just a shame that it’s not a full length album, I’d love to hear even more from this highly promising quartet.

“Carolina Peaches” is available via Harry Brunt’s Bandcamp page.
https://harrybrunt.bandcamp.com/album/carolina-peaches

Both “Carolina Peaches” and the forthcoming Howl Quartet album “Night Song” are due to be officially launched at the 2025 EFG London Jazz Festival with dates as follows;

18th November - Howl Quartet: PizzaExpress Soho, London, UK

23rd November - Harry Brunt Quartet: Green Note, London UK

There are numerous other dates which can be found via Harry’s website, with Howl Quartet due to tour extensively in support of the new album;

http://www.harrybrunt.com/live

 

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