Max Luthert

“Orbital”

(Whirlwind Recordings WR4659)

Bassist Max Luthert first came to my attention as a member of the contemporary jazz trio Partikel, led by tenor saxophonist Duncan Eagles and also featuring drummer Eric Ford. He appears on both of Partikel’s first two albums, the eponymous début from 2010 and 2012’s “Cohesion”, contributing to the writing process on the latter. Partikel is in fact a highly interactive group who achieve a good balance between experimentation and accessibility as they improvise around Eagle’s hooky, melodic themes.

An in demand sideman Luthert has also recorded with drummer Ollie Howell, vocalist Zara McFarlane, pianist Peter Edwards and guitarist Leo Appleyard and with a quintet co-led by Eagles and trumpeter Mark Perry. Others with whom Luthert has been associated included pianist/vocalist Benet McLean, flautist Gareth Lockrane and drummer Mark Mondesir.

“Orbital” sees Luthert making his début as a band leader and composer. All of the nine compositions are his and the line up is a distinctive sextet configuration comprised mainly of old friends. Thus Eagles is to be heard on tenor sax and Lockrane on a variety of flutes. The line up is completed by Seb Pipe (alto sax), Matt Robinson (of the Ollie Howell group) on piano, and Dave Hamblett at the drums. Recorded by Derek Nash in London and mixed by Tyler McDiarmid in New York the album offers a rich palette of colours and textures with the leader’s undemonstrative bass playing at the heart of the ensemble. It features the distinctive artwork of long term associate Alban Low.

The album opens with “Grand Designs”, not, we are assured, a homage to the TV programme! However it is perhaps an appropriate title as the rich blend of the horns combines well with the lyricism of Robinson’s piano and the adroit rhythmic interplay of Luthert and Hamblett. The ensemble playing is excellent throughout but there are moments of individual brilliance too, epitomised by the joyous flow of Robinson’s piano solo.

“Edgewall” features similarly lustrous horn voicings with Pie’s alto and Lockrane’s flute combining beautifully. Pipe takes the first solo followed by Robinson who is again in sparkling form.

“Assam"first appeared on the second Partikel album “Cohesion”, Luthert’s only writing credit on that record. However it’s a beautiful tune that has become an important part of the the trio’s live sets. Here, scored for a larger group, it is equally effective. The leader introduces the tune at the bass and the arrangement has a wonderfully, rich lush feel that makes it feel almost like a modern standard.  Luthert allows himself to feature with a melodic but characteristically resonant solo. There are also delightful contributions from Lockrane on flute and Pipe on alto.

Lockrane is also prominently featured on the delightful “Cloud on Cloud”, an appropriately airy and lovely piece featuring delicately blown flute, gently lyrical piano, Luthert’s underpinning bass and Hamblett’s immaculately light touch on drums and cymbals.

“Pacific Before Tiger” builds from gentle beginnings to embrace a larger group sound but with plenty of space left for individual contributions. Both saxophonists deliver expansive solos, gradually developing in intensity, and there also some immaculately arranged ensemble passages.
Luthert has described his writing process thus; ” I was especially keen that the individual songs, as well as the album, had a sense of a story unfolding, with spikes of energy but also moments of calm to keep the listener listening”. It’s a goal that he achieves throughout the album but, for me, these qualities are particularly apparent here.

This “light and shade” aspect it also noticeable on the title track, one of the album’s more extrovert numbers. Bright, buzzy horn arrangements and strong, sometimes odd meter,  grooves are balanced by Robinson’s lyrical pianism. Both saxophonists again weigh in with effusive solos, Pipe going first, and the piece ends with a colourful drum feature for the consistently excellent Hamblett.

“Quiet December” is a genuine ballad with Eagles revealing his more romantic side on tenor in a quartet setting of lyrical piano and bass and delicately brushed drums. His gently emotive contribution is matched by Robinson’s flowing lyricism and Luthert’s memorable cameo on the bass.

I’m assuming that the title of the cheery “Banrock Station” was stolen off the back of a wine bottle. In the main this bustles along with lively solos from Eagles, Lockrane, Robinson and with another feature for Hamblett. It’s the most outgoing track on the whole album and is surely destined to become something of a live favourite.

The closing “Metro Moodie” features the exotic sounds of Lockrane’s bass flute (I think) and Hamblett’s hand drumming, the faintly mysterious air being maintained through the course of solos by Robinson and Lockrane.

“Orbital” represents an impressively mature début from Luthert. It’s certainly not a “typical” bassist’s solo album, the focus is very much on the writing and arranging rather than the “groove”. As previously alluded to Luthert achieves his objectives on a set of compositions that are rich in colour and texture, the unusual line up allowing for plenty of variation in terms of tone and timbre and with the sextet achieving a convincingly full sound. Lockrane’s flutes are perhaps the most distinctive element but everybody plays well with Luthert forming a particularly fruitful partnership with Hamblett. In the main the leader maintains a low profile, happy to let his bass fulfil its traditionally supportive role. Nevertheless his brief solo contributions are impressive but it is Luthert’s writing and arranging skills that are the focus of this record. As an album it’s something of a slow burner, but it’s a record that reveals something new on each fresh listening and one whose tunes are likely to grow in live performance. 

Max Luthert will launch his new album at the Pizza Express Jazz Club, 10 Dean Strett, Soho, London on the evening of 20th October 2014 with more live dates scheduled around the UK in January 2015. 

20 October - Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, London http://www.pizzaexpresslive.co.uk

18 January - Ashburton Jazz Club
19 January - North Devon Jazz Club, Appledore
21 January - Dempsey’s, Cardiff
22 January - SoundCellar, Poole
23 January - Sheffield Jazz Club

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