Video of the Day: Empirical share 'The Naitoku, the Newcomer' from new album Wonder Is The Beginning
Mike Flynn
Friday, January 19, 2024
The acclaimed UK four-piece expand to a sextet with pianist Jason Rebello and saxophonist Alex Hitchcock for their expansive first recording for Whirlwind Recordings
Sharp-suited and highly-regarded Brit jazz band Empirical return in March with their latest album Wonder Is The Beginning, which is their debut for UK-based imprint Whirlwind Recordings. Now in their fifteenth year as one of the UK’s most consistently creative groups, the line-up continues to feature Nathaniel Facey (alto sax), Tom Farmer (double bass), Lewis Wright (vibraphone) and Shaney Forbes (drums) with the new album expanding to a sextet with special guests in the form of former Sting/Jeff Beck pianist Jason Rebello and young virtuoso saxophonist Alex Hitchcock. Empirical launch the album at World Heart Beat, London on 15 March 2024 – for more info visit worldheartbeat.org/events/empirical/
Further early 2024 releases on Whirlwind include a reissue of a 1990 duo recording of US jazz masters Dave Liebman and Jeff Williams, In Duo (26 Jan); Ictus’ The Music of Carla Bley - Selected works from 1958-1974 (9 Feb); popular French vocalist Cyrille Aimée’s forthcoming album, à Fleur de Peau (8 Mar); Tom Barford and Alex Hitchcock’s band AuB’s Folk Devils (12 Apr) and top Brit bassist Orlando le Fleming’s Wandering Taelk (19 Apr).
For more info visit www.whirlwindrecordings.com
