So I sat down this afternoon to read some more in The Silent Wife , the latest release from Karin Slaughter. Prior to starting to read, I reviewed my Release Radar on Spotify. Release Radar is a collection of music I may like, containing both recently released albums and singles from soon to be released albums. I was looking for a new jazz or New Age album. What I found, and picked to listen to, was the latest release from Mathew Halsall Salute to the Sun.
About Matthew Halsall
Matthew Halsall is a Manchester,England based composer, trumpeter, producer, and DJ. He is also the founder of a Gondwana Records. All that and he is only 37 years old!
Matthew Halsall but maybe most importantly a beautiful artist and a terrific trumpeter. I remember several years ago, when I first listened to his music, that it was different from most jazz that I’ve heard. And Salute to the Sun confirms that Halsall has created his own rich sound world.
According to his website that sound world is rooted in….
….the heritage of British jazz, the spiritual jazz of Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, as well as world music and electronica influences, and even modern art and architecture, to create something uniquely his own. A music that is rooted in Northern England but draws on global inspirations.
I first listened to the music of Matthew Halsall several years ago. At that time I listened to his Into Forever his 2015 release. Salute to the Sun is his first album, as a leader, since that album.
A New Band Creates Salute to the Sun
The music in Salute to the Sun is produced by a new band band-picked band. Again from his website the new band includes:
…..A hand-picked ensemble featuring some of Manchester’s finest young musicians: Matt Cliffe flute & saxophone, Maddie Herbert harp, Liviu Gheorghe piano, Alan Taylor drums and Jack McCarthy percussion as well as long-time Halsall collaborator, bassist, Gavin Barras who has been at the heart of Halsall’s bands for over a decade
About Salute to the Sun
The album was crafted from the band’s weekly sessions. These sessions were possible because the musicians were located close to Matthew.
The album also visits many of the…
….themes and ideas that have inspired Halsall through the years (on albums such as Oneness, Fletcher Moss Park and When the World Was One) ideas of ecology, the environment and harmony with nature.
Finally Matthew says this about the album…
“I feel Salute to the Sun is a positive earthyw album. I wanted to create something playful but also quite primitive, earthy and organic that connected to the sounds in nature”.
Final Thoughts
The bottom line is after the first listen I really, really like this album. And I know it’s going to be in my music rotation for a long while! If you’re a fan of Jeff Oster you’ll love this album!
So Check It out! As for me I’m going to check out Matthew’s back catalog revisiting Into Forever and On the Go his 2011 release, as well as, other albums.
Here is Matthew and his band performing one my my favorite tracks on Salute to the Sun “Joyful Spirits of the Universe”. Love the flute!
Links for the Further Exploration of the Music of Matthew Halsall
