Saxophonist Brian Molley brings his quartet to the Jazz Bar
in Chambers Street on Wednesday, April 19 as part of a lengthy series of dates to mark the release of the group’s second album, Colour and Movement.
Glasgow-based Molley has enjoyed an eventful time since
releasing his first album as a band leader, Clock, in 2013 after many years as a busy freelance session player and gigging musician.
“The reception Clock received really exceeded all expectations,” says Molley, who has worked in Broadway theatre productions,
classical music and pop with names including Hue & Cry, Ricky Ross and Bad Manners as well as building solid experience in jazz.
“The reviews were incredibly complimentary and being chosen as one of the UK’s leading jazz magazine, Jazzwise’s ‘Ones to Watch in 2014’ was another unexpected boost. It was great that people got what we were doing because it showed that you can play music at a more considered pace and keep listeners’ attention without been
full on all the time.”
On top of the Jazzwise commendation, Molley’s quartet was selected for the Made in the UK programme at Rochester Jazz Festival in New York in 2014 and featured in the Made in Scotland programme at the Edinburgh Fringe that same year. This led to an invitation to India in 2015 for collaborations with Rajasthani folk musicians followed by a quartet tour to Jodhpur, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore. A return to Rajasthan last year produced a collaborative album, Journeys in Hand, which will be released later this year.
Meanwhile, Colour and Movement carries on the quartet’s work in fusing contemporary jazz with influences from around the world including bassist Mario Caribe’s native Brazil.
“There are Indian influences too,” says Molley, whose quartet also features the outstanding pianist Tom Gibbs and Stu Brown on drums.
“The idea was to create music that reflects the group’s travels and we’ve done that by producing twelve tracks in twelve keys and using different time signatures. We’re really looking forward to taking it out on the road.”
This is just as well as “taking it out on the road” this time involves a tour schedule that, following the Jazz Bar gig, stretches from the
Hippodrome in Eyemouth on Saturday, April 29 to Madras Jazz Festival in Chennai on the Bay of Bengal in June.
