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Now I get sent a lot of music and to be honest I skip through most of it due to lack of time, passing quick judgement, isolating favourite tracks for various playlists and the radio but rarely listening to albums start to finish, let alone re-listening several times over the course of a week like I have done with this album.

The reason for that has something to do with the poor state of modern jazz, a shadow of it’s fomer self, which makes this album a real pleasant surprise but the real reason is this is a beautifully crafted 4 track spiritual jazz album of the highest order.

Kicking off with ‘Nica’s Dance’ it doesn’t take the band long to get into their stride, laying down a languid groove over which Birchall’s expansive playing is allowed to flourish and march off into territory once occupied by the Coltranes and Pharoah Saunders. Not that this is a cheap imitation. Yes the spirit of Saunders is there but the energy is coming from a clearly focussed Birchall as he sounds out his personal cosmic vision.

Birchall’s sensitive sax playing then gracefully pursues the gently floating, eastern tinged, keys of Adam Fairhall on the 10 minute long ‘A prayer for…’ which is an exercise in elegant restraint as the track slowly builds before dissipating once more into space and time.

The forthright bass of Gavin Barras heralds the start of the albums title track ‘Akhenaten’ which translates as ‘effective spirit of Aten’ (who was an ancient sun preaching pharaoh). The young trumpet player Mathew Halsall, responsible for the labels excellent debut album, dons his golden ceremonial headdress and enters the fray to join Birchall as both horns and Fairhalls keys politely take it in turns to sound the path to enlightenment.

North African desert, gently shifting sand dunes and Nat’s rich tones echo throughout this effortless sounding recording from a man on a cosmic musical vision with top quality musicians backing him all the way. The album is a treat start to finish and Birchall, along with that other modern UK sax virtuoso Finn Peters, is helping to keep the spiritual jazz flame alight, just when we need it the most.

Nat Birchall Myspace
Gondwana Records Website