Dust by Cable Street Rag Band
Had this album been available twenty years ago I am certain that I would still be listening to it now, and I may have spent less time in the musical wilderness than I did. This is no excited first impression. I've been listening to it regularly for over six months now.
This is one of a handful of next generation traditional jazz albums that smash any thought that there is nothing new to say in the form. It is artistic in the sense that art is communication, and what it communicates taps human universals so broadly that it makes you wonder how this isn't today's popular music. The sound isn't nostalgic, it is truly as if music had simply developed along a different course, one without the reboot of Rock n' Roll.
From beginning to end it is effective, as an album. The musicianship is among the best and the level of vocal talent, from three distinct voices, is not to be found elsewhere.
So, I’ve shared my bias, I’ve found an album I will likely play from time to time for the rest of my life. That’s a very idiosyncratic thing, it hit all the right buttons for me. Your mileage may vary, but here’s why you should give it a listen.
The band is led by Ewan Bleach on reeds, piano, and vocals. Bleach has earned a reputation stretching all the way to New Orleans and back and is the driving force in the current UK traditional jazz revival.
Loui
