Ed Jones’ choice of high-caliber musicians on For Your Ears Only hints at the quality potential. In truth, however, nothing can quite prepare the listener for the energy and engagement this album brings – nor the exposition of arrangements and compositional wizardry which Jones brings, along with his playing.
For Your Ears Only is a revelation of hard bop, controlled and creatively led playing. It is a lesson from a formidable player who demonstrates here not only his prowess with more than one member of the woodwind family, but also his compositional and arrangement skills.
He’s joined on For Your Ears Only by Ross Stanley (Dennis Rollins, Jamie Cullum, Liane Carroll, Norma Winstone, Paloma Faith) on piano; Tim Giles (Kenny Wheeler, Matt Bourne, Jamie Cullum) on drums, Riaan Vosloo (Jamie Cullum, Nostalgia 77) on double bass and Brigitte Beraha (jazz vocals tutor, Guildhall School of Music, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and the Royal Welsh College of Music) on vocals.
They kick off the project with “Nomadology,” a track full of surprises. Little changes in tempo and rhythm work wonders on the relatively simple theme. Following the introduction from bass, piano and drums, Jones’ sax rolls in over the top, working the theme with variation and emphasis. The piece develops into a cross between easy listening and hard bop, with the latter emphasized by some pretty nifty key work from Jones, underpinned always by rock steady support from the other musicians. The off-beat in the bass on occasion is really effective. There is space allowed for a lovely, deliciously textural piano solo from Stanley, who deftly demonstrates why he was the perfect choice for this album.
“Pandora’s Box” is filled with contrasts between the very harmonic sections and the opposition of rhythms and progressions from the leading saxophone and support. Jones pushes the sax to its limits at one point and the notes screech almost to silence before the sound returns, strong and pure. Again, a great piano solo is delivered before everyone returns as a homogenous blend. “Starbright” features vocals that are gentle, clear and breathy, as Brigitte Beraha tells the story of tombs, shadows and stars before the bass solo over piano chords. The atmosphere changes slightly prior to a progression from the piano that leads into a solo with bass supporting – a lovely and clever interchange and reflection in the composition and arrangement. The piano takes the energy level up with chords and emphatic strikes, then the vocals enter again and the atmosphere is taken down to gentler levels. The airiness of the voice adds contrast to the steady depth of the instruments, and there is a lovely conversation of voice and sax for a while in the final section.
“Marielyst” starts with a drum solo which heralds the different feel to this number, as Tim Giles shows why he was inducted into the Royal Academy’s honors list in 2016. The drumming is very engaging and varied. All too soon it is joined by the piano – not too soon because the piano is anything less than excellent but because the drum solo is so enjoyable – and sax. The number builds and develops, gaining both volume and momentum. Around 13 minutes of beautiful, reflective, intuitive and beautiful jazz is given over to the listener bit by bit, in layers, in small snippets and larger pieces until the track’s wholeness is revealed when it all comes together to create a oneness.
The longer “Marielyst” goes on, the more you realize you are listening to a group who understand and bounce off each other, yet allow space too. This is a great track and some of the solos are insane. Ed Jones is reminiscent of Rufus Harley in some aspects or maybe Rahsaan Roland Kirk. The number contains delicacies of texture which reveals layers underneath with each listen. I am not even sure if the players realise the depth of some of the sections here and the delight with which discoveries are made with each consecutive listen.
“Solstice” is a contrast composed by Riaan Vosloo, with its quiet bass opening before a cymbal crash comes and then piano and sax. The only slight distraction is the reediness in Ed’s playing, but it also shows a musician more concerned about the effect of the whole and recording in the moment than the minutia of technicalities. In the latter half of the track, the sax takes on a life of its own, via the very capable hands of its player and there is a sense of energy and drive. The contrast between the niceties of the swinging, waltzy rhythms and the more free-flowing sections works really well.
“Ebb and Flow” for me is the jewel in the crown of For Your Ears Only, which by this point is already way beyond impressive. It begins with a gorgeous bass and sax discussion with light and airy percussion, then piano joins the conversation. That imposes some decorum with harmonic chords before the conversation again takes over across but not obliquely to the piano, which maintains its presence. There then develops an (almost) free-form jazz number which serves to show the range and depth of the box of tricks this quartet possess and know how to use. Each theme worked in by sax or piano is dissipated and put together again in different forms while still working around chords of the same root – or approximately in one or several places.
All of that served as verification of what I always suspected lurked behind the relatively sane playing I have observed from Ed Jones in the past. The inspired short solos from piano, bass and drums also work well in this track. The piano is manic at one point and drives with force, while the drums pick up the energy and transfer them to the noise level. The bass develops and adds to sections, especially when the piano develops the theme of a downward chord progression. The sax then enters and Jones adds his magic, bringing the total free-wheeling aspect into an almost coherent format. At the same time, he maintains that wonderful sense of freedom, which only very experienced players can combine. “Ebb and Flow” is wonderful track, and an inspired ending.
A well-connected saxophonist, Ed Jones has worked with a huge range of musicians, from free-jazz pioneers to contemporary and modern jazz combos. His collaborators have included John Stevens, Evan Parker, Horace Silver, Clifford Jarvis, Jason Rebello, Orphy Robinson, Claire Martin, Don Weller and the Monk Liberation Front to name but a few. He has also played for the Blockheads, Justus, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, George Benson, Jamie Cullum, Bootsy Collins and more. His own projects included Incognito, Us3, and Nostalgia 77.
His original group, the Ed Jones Quartet, were the first to play at London’s Jazz Café in 1988. He was also a regular performer on the acid jazz scene at clubs such as the Wag and Dingwalls. In 2005, he formed Killer Shrimp with Trumpeter Damon Brown and in 2016 he formed the Free Improvisation Trio Bad Ash with Mark Sanders (drums) and Mark Lewandowski (double bass). The group toured the U.K. with support from the Arts Council of England, with collaborations along the way with Matthew Bourne, Paul Dunmall, and Corey Mwamba, Alex Bonney and Nick Malcom.
International projects include working with the Scandinavian trio Stekpanna, Finnish trumpeter and composer Mika Myllari and pianist Yutaka Shina. He has also composed for BBC Jazz on 3 and the Bath Festival. These are only a few of the projects Ed Jones has been involved in. This new acoustic contemporary jazz quartet was founded in 2011.
Their long-awaited debut studio project is a revelation and surprise in so many ways. Jones veers away from the mundanity of the paths which some of his contemporary acid-jazz players chose. Ed Jones has a strong individuality which is imprinted on his playing. There is also the sense of subtle influences of great players such as Wayne Shorter in some places, and there is a sense he was weaned on Kirk and John Coltrane.
If you have ever wondered what good bop music is or how it is played, checking out Ed Jones’ For Your Ears Only is probably a great place to start.
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