Born in Paris of African roots Manu Katche is one of the world’s great drummers. Although classically trained he has followed a career straddling the genres of jazz, rock and pop. He first came to prominence through his work with Peter Gabriel and he is currently a member of Sting’s touring group. His jazz credits include regular appearances with Jan Garbarek and more recently his own work as a leader.

Katche first came to mass attention as a composer and band-leader with his first ECM recording “Neighbourhood” in 2004. There had been previous solo projects and these are mentioned on his website but I’ve never seen any of those albums in the UK.  “Neighbourhood” ( reviewed elsewhere on this site) was recorded with an ECM all-star group featuring Garbarek on saxophones and Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko. Stanko’s compatriots Marcin Wasilewski (piano) and Slawomir Kurkiewicz (bass) completed the line up. Katche’s melodic, grooving yet surprisingly sophisticated compositions made the album a runaway success and a follow up was inevitable, “Playground” appearing to further critical and public acclaim in 2007.

Katche’s relative commercial success saw him taking his music on the road. Touring with musicians as busy as Garbarek and Stanko was never a practical proposition and an all Norwegian front line of Trygve Seim (saxes) and Mathias Eick (trumpet) was drafted in, these two also appearing on “Playground”.  By the time I saw the Katche band live at the 2008 London Jazz Festival ( a performance reviewed elsewhere on this site) the personnel had begun to mutate again. Yet another Norwegian, Tore Brunborg had replaced Seim and British musician Jason Rebello, Katche’s band mate in Sting’s group, had come in on piano. Both these appear on “Third Round” together with veteran British session bassist Pino Palladino, another long term Katche associate, here making his ECM début. The new album virtually dispenses with the role of the trumpet but in addition to the core quartet of Katche, Brunborg, Rebello and Palladino there are guest appearances from guitarist Jacob Young on three tracks and singer/trumpeter Kami Lyle on two.

Despite the change of personnel it’s pretty much business as usual for Katche. He’s come up with another batch of attractive original tunes, strong on melody and driven by his trademark loping groove. The playing is of the high standard you’d expect from this collection of jazz and session veterans and the production by Manfred Eicher is also typically impeccable.

Rebello’s solo piano is the first instrument heard as the group launch the album with the languid “Swing Piece”. Brunborg’s tenor is next before Katche and Palladino enter. Katche displays his individualistic cymbal touch and gently propels the music forward in conjunction with Palladino’s purring electric bass. It’s not “swing” in the traditional sense but it is, as ever, highly melodic and a good introduction to the individual voices of the new band. The music doesn’t stray too far from the blueprint laid down on Katche’s other two ECM releases but the absence of trumpet subtly alters the dynamic. Brunborg’s Garbarek influenced tenor and soprano is now the main solo voice with Rebello also making an excellent contribution from the piano.

The subtly funky “Keep On Trippin’” introduces another element with the addition of guitarist Young whose singing, jazzy lines are heard in conjunction with Brunborg’s flowing saxophone and Rebello’s supportive piano. Katche’s drumming is full of delightful percussive details whist simultaneously remaining right on the beat.

After the two joyous openers “Senses” shows the more sensitive side of the band. Brunborg, who made his name with Arild Andersen and is concurrently working with Tord Gustavsen broods effectively on tenor, sympathetically supported by Rebello’s thoughtful piano work and Katche’s delicate and immaculate brush craft.   

“Being Ben” is perhaps the most playful item thus far, the simple, catchy hook being expounded upon by Brunborg and Rebello against the backdrop of Katche’s intelligent, detailed, subtly propulsive drumming. 

“Une Larme Dans Son Sourire” is tantalisingly brief and atmospheric with an underlying melancholic feeling paced by Rebello’s piano chording and Brunborg’s tenor sax lamentations.

“Springtime Dancing” is light and airy and features Brunborg on feathery soprano. It’s pleasant but insubstantial and the guesting Young is somewhat underused. The following “Out Take Number 9” is a brief vignette centred around Katche’s nimble drum groove.

The intro to “Shine And Blue” features Brunborg at his most Garbarek like, emoting above a backdrop of piano and shimmering percussion. The piece then changes mood with the entry of Palladino’s springy, slyly funky electric bass groove. Rebello switches to trilling Fender Rhodes as Brunborg defrosts. Rebello then effectively duets with himself as he takes a sparkling acoustic piano solo. All the while Katche keeps things ticking along nicely from the back.

Kami Lyle adds her voice and lyrics to Katche’s lightly gospel flavoured “Stay With You.” Her distinctive, choked vocals are something of an acquired taste and the jury’s still out on this one as far as I’m concerned. Guest vocal spots on otherwise instrumental albums seem to be on the increase, presumably in an attempt to increase sales. Some are wholly successful such as Emilia Martensson’s beautiful contribution to the recent Kairos 4tet album and the contrasting vocal cameos by Elisabeth Nygaard and Andrew Plummer on Fringe Magnetic’s “Empty Spaces”. It’s not a direction I’d expected ECM to be pursuing and I have to say that on the whole I don’t think I’d want to listen to a whole album of Lyle’s vocalising.

Lyle sticks around for the lusciously textured “Flower Skin” which features her rounded trumpet tones, Rebello’s Rhodes and most significantly Young’s delicate acoustic guitar, the principal solo instrument. Young engages in relaxed dialogue with Lyle and Brunborg, the whole delicately propelled by Katche’s understated brush led drumming.

The brief and lovely “Urban Shadow” ends the album on an elegiac note. Essentially a duet between Brunborg and Rebello it’s ironic that Katche sits this one out. A track without percussion on a drummer led album.

Perhaps not surprisingly Katche has suffered a minor critical backlash from critics who see “Third Round” as something of a water treading exercise-to be honest I’m surprised it didn’t start with “Playground”. This is not without foundation, the new album is essentially more of the same and there are occasions when the music drifts a little too close to smooth jazz. But this is ECM not GRP and generally the music stays the right side of bland. The playing , particularly from the core group is superb and Katche’s music is as melodic as ever although it could be argued that some of the themes remain undeveloped.

The chances are that if, like me, if you liked Katche’s two previous ECM releases you’ll like this too. There’s nothing new here but the man’s way with a tune and a groove is irresistible and his own playing consistently absorbing. “Third Round” is perhaps not quite as strong as his previous offerings, especially “Neighbourhood” but it’s a pretty decent record for all that and should sell well. Katche is something of a star in his native France and that situation isn’t likely to change in a hurry.

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