Matthew Halsall

Matthew Halsall, trumpet Matthew Cliffe, flute, sax Alan Taylor, drums Gavin Barras, bass Jack McCarthy, percussion Alice Roberts, harp Gheorghe Liviu, piano album release: Salute to the sun (2020, Gondwana Records) Matthew Halsall is a trumpeter whose unflashy, soulful playing radiates a thoughtful beauty. His sound draws on 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. Salute to the Sun is his first album as a leader since Into Forever (2015) and marks the debut of his new band, a hand-picked ensemble featuring some of Manchester's finest young musicians. Combines deep, mellow modal grooves and cascading harp glissandi with sublime soloing to create something that's simultaneously refreshing and relaxing" ★★★★★ Record Collector Matthew Halsall's Salute to the Sun heads up a bunch of albums that sound as much like a scorching August afternoon as the pop-hiss of a freshly opened can of Rio. The Guardian Matthew Halsall asserts himself as a living legend amongst his spiritual jazz peers with this new album. Salute to the Sun tingles from start to finish, with the raised hairs from your goosebumps reaching out to connect with the warmth of Halsall's oozing trumpet. ★★★★★ Jazz Revelations