Theo Travis – Double Talk (2008)

I've seen Theo Travis perform under a number of guises. Firstly guesting with In Cahoots and Hatfield And The North at the Mean Fiddler in London in 2005, as sax player for Gong in 2009, and more recently in his current day job with Soft Machine.

But the best performance of all was upstairs in Pizza Express in Maidstone, in a small dining crowd, purchasing this CD from the man himself after the show. I didn't get it autographed, mostly because I didn't want to and because his pizza was going cold.

It's a lovely modern British jazz album, which merges themes from newer music, classic jazz themes and some adventurous pieces inviting the listener to step out of their comfort zone. Perhaps some pieces are over-long, but none outstay their welcome. If you like simple tunes well done, with virtuoso sax, flute, guitar and organ, you'll find it on pieces like Ascending, and The Relegation of Pluto (with Pete Whittaker's keyboards sounding reminiscent of Joe Zawinul in the Miles Davis band). There's a flute and guitar soundscape duo with Robert Fripp (The Endless Search), as well as a Fripp contribution to the wonderful Oblivionville.

A smooth jazz interpretation of Pink Floyd's See Emily Play is a welcome treat before concluding with the bluesy And So It Seems, and Portobello 67, sounding like a 1960s spy thriller theme piece.

The band were a tight four piece, and while Travis' flute and sax plays most leads, there's ample space for Mike Outram's superb guitar work and Pete Whittaker's understated keyboards to solo freely, while Roy Dodds' drumming keeps it all together. It's as good a piece of 21st century British jazz as I've heard.

Link to live Ascending, and See Emily Play

4* - a lovely jazz album of gentle, ambient and some rocking tunes