Dave O'Higgins: It's Always 9.30 In Zog

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Sebastiaan de Krom (d)
Graham Harvey (p, ky)
Dave O'Higgins (ts)
Geoff Gascoyne (b)

Label:

JVG Productions

October/2017

Catalogue Number:

JVG018CD

RecordDate:

3-4 January 2017

The saxophonist points out in his brief liner note that this has been his regular working group for the last six years. And what the listener gets is an accurate reflection of just that: a foursome of familiars, their sensibilities finely attuned to each other, playing a programme of mainly O'Higgins originals with a few favourite standards added, all recorded ‘live in the studio’. The heads are played tight: just listen to O'Higgins on soprano with Harvey on Fender Rhodes in perfect sync on ‘Alien With Extraordinary Ability’ – yes, O'Higgins has that jazz penchant for quirky titles which I am sure he expands on humorously at gigs. De Krom shows his mastery on brushes during this track too. This is a band that can swing hard, with ‘Nothing To Lose’ a juicy example, while the bossa-ballad ‘Brixton’, composed by Chico Chagas, shows off the leader's impeccable tone, note-shaping and phrasing against the fully relaxed trio. It's good to hear Bheki Mseleku's ‘Timelessness’ getting an airing; the O'Higgins quartet ups the pace and attack to bring out the hard bop in this Afro-jazz composition. Overall, a fine example of a what-you-see-is-what-you-get jazz record: a band with nothing to prove, happiest on the stand, making music in the moment and capturing that same atmosphere in the studio for our repeat listening. I bet they'll shift a few while touring.

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