Andy Sheppard "Movements in Colour"

In Bristol, a young 19 year-old sits listening to the music of John Coltrane. He promptly acquires a saxophone and three weeks later performs with the quartet Sphere. An illustrious musical career is immediately born. No doubt about it, he’s going to be an outstanding musician, this Andy Sheppard. A decade later, he debuts as a solo artist with the able assistance of masters Steve Swallow and Randy Brecker, an initiation swiftly endorsed with several accolades and awards.

Since then, Sheppard’s movements have gravitated towards the big band domain with the likes of George Russell, Gil Evans and Carla Bley all benefitting from the British soprano and tenor player. He has always worked with multifarious forms of musical expression and formed bands accordingly. In particular, rhythm and musicians of a world music persuasion have been sources of inspiration. The result has nonetheless always been modern and robust, his evocative compositions lending themselves equally well to theatre, dance and film.

His latest Movements in Colour project bears semblance to what many will define as a Nordic timbre. Maybe the release on ECM partially explains the lyrical and playful sound. Or the contribution of bass nestor Arild Andersen. A generous sprinkling of tablas and percussion certainly embellishes the spirited soundscape. Either way, it’s worth lending an ear to Andy Sheppard at this year’s MaiJazz.

Line-up: Andy Sheppard – tenor-/sopran saxsophone, John Parricelli – guitars/electronics, Arild Andresen – double bass and Kuljit Bhamra – table/percussion

Translation by Erik Forster