London jazz collective Nérija bring a youthful approach, and a progressive and generous balancing of songwriting duties, to the creation of contemporary jazz. The group's newest album, Blume, is out today via Domino, and it's full of the kind of invigorating music that owes as much to the DIY vibe of the indie scene as it does to the traditional jazz luminaries of the past.
The players here -- Nubya Garcia (tenor saxophone), Sheila Maurice-Grey (trumpet), Cassie Kinoshi (alto saxophone), Rosie Turton (trombone), Shirley Tetteh (guitar), Lizy Exell (drums) and Rio Kai (bass) -- all deserve praise, and not just for the way they coalesce around this material, but for the fact that each member of this septet was a composer of music here. "Last Straw" swings like something by Monk from decades ago. The cut, written by trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey is a blast, while "Unbound", by trombonist Rosie Turton, takes things into the sort of down-tempo environment cataloged at length in the past by Miles Davis and his small groups in the early Sixties. Elsewhere, "Equanimous", from bassist Rio Kai, is smooth and forward-looking, while the title cut here, written by tenor sax player Nubya Garcia, is elegant and expansive. On this one, and others here on Blume, Nérija function as a collective whose music is proof of lessons learned from the compositions of past fusion pioneers, even as the performances here charm in the manor of any number of hard bop outfits. If a guy like me, who thinks the best jazz was made in the first half of the Sixties, can love this music, that ought to tell you how accessible it is. Still, chances are taken here, and bold gestures rewarded in this batch of jazz.
Blume is out now via Domino.
More details on Nérija via the official Facebook page.
[Photo: Clare Shilland]