Wild Card: Beast from the East

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Sophie Alloway (d)
Rosie Turton (tb)
Denys Baptiste (ts)
Emilia Mårtensson (v)
Jim Knight (as)
Clement Regert (g)
Will Fry (perc)
Graeme Flowers (t)
Alistair White (tb)
Adam Glasser (hca)
Barnaby Dickinson (tb)
Joao Caetano (perc)
Imaani (v)
Duncan Eagles (ts)
Andrew Noble (Hammond org)
Tim Garland (ss, ts)

February/2020

Media Format:

CD

Catalogue Number:

Top End TER005VCD

RecordDate:

2018-2019

The core trio of Wild Card are themselves a formidably fun band, but the buzz and sparkle of their releases is how they immaculately fold in their stellar mates like the London Horns and heavyweights such as Garland and Baptiste to create albums rich with a rainforest variety. The title of ‘The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers’ may suggest they’ve been listening to too much 1960s psychedelia lately (Can Hieronymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness, anyone?), but we’re soon into familiar yet ever fresh territory. Powered by that rock solid, though light of touch rhythm section that revels in a Latin feel, ‘Tales from Hanoi’, for example, grooves with a sensual hipsway that Caetano’s percussion lifts even higher. In contrast, the title-track is tougher as Garland and Dickinson go mano a mano. But the same pair wrestle differently on ‘Black Tower’, recorded in memory of the Grenfell tragedy. Alloway is particularly spunky, while Regert is as fluid as ever on nylon-string guitar. And in contrast a ska-flecked ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone’ riotously wraps the glorious gallimaufry up in a seething party. Get your dancing shoes on.

Follow us

Jazzwise Print

  • Latest print issues

From £5.83 / month

Subscribe

Jazzwise Digital Club

  • Latest digital issues
  • Digital archive since 1997
  • Download tracks from bonus compilation albums during the year
  • Reviews Database access

From £7.42 / month

Subscribe

Subscribe from only £5.83

Never miss an issue of the UK's biggest selling jazz magazine.

Subscribe

View the Current
Issue

Take a peek inside the latest issue of Jazzwise magazine.

Find out more