BUMPIN' ON FRITH STREET (DLCD)

Limited vinyl LP pressing including digital download. During the Spring of 2015 The James Taylor Quartet played a sold out six show run at Ronnie ScottAEs Jazz Club. Every nightAEs performance was recorded, the standout set being the late show on Friday 25th March. By this time any initial aered light feverAE had long dissipated and the musicians were fully settled in, performing at their best and concentrating on capturing the special relationship between the band and the Ronnie ScottAEs audience. The desire to return to a stripped-down approach means the band pare everything down to the essence. There were no horns or percussion, just James Taylor on Hammond C3, guitarist Mark Cox, bassist Andrew McKinney and drummer Pat Illingworth, a line-up now solid for over three years. There was no set list u the band donAEt use them u they just watch the audience, see how the music connects and take it from there. The songs that made the final cut are four James Taylor originals and four from the source u Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Joe Sample and Gene Ammons. BumpinAE On Frith Street is a tip of the hat to Soho, the home of Ronnie ScottAEs and ground zero of UK Jazz music. If you canAEt get to Soho this record may just be the closest thing to being there.