Jim Watson: Calling You Home

Pianist Jim Watson's wide-ranging career has seen him collaborate with an amazing array of artists across the jazz and pop genres, including Manu Katche, Kurt Elling, Sting, Richard Bona, Chrissie Hynde and Meshell Ndegeocello, to name just a few. This versatility bears fruit in both his compositions and choice of covers on his solo album Calling You Home.

A graduate of Leeds College of Music (now Leeds Conservatoire) and London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Watson is also known for his skill on the Hammond organ, but it is his piano work that is the focus here as he brings together six original compositions alongside jazz standards and some unusual rock/pop choices.

The album opens with the rolling rhythms of Watson's composition "Midge," a twisting piece driven by darting right-hand runs that immediately command attention, perhaps much like the pet dog that inspired it. His original compositions display impressive variety, from the gospel-inflected melody and inventive improvisation of the classy title track to the romantic introduction and agile phrasing of "Vow." There is also the dramatic intensity of "Darkstar Sky" and the escalating momentum and drama of "Tetrad" making this track a highlight.

Reflecting Watson's wide-ranging musical influences, Paul Simon's "Old Friends" is given a gentle interpretation and The Band's "The Weight" emphasizes the song's melodic appeal. He also includes several jazz standards: "Round Midnight," "Body & Soul" and Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You" are all given deft and delicate interpretations. However, the standout amongst the covers is Rodgers and Hart's "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered." Watson finds new life in this frequently covered piece with a subtle touch of stride piano, creating a charming rendition.

Watson entertains throughout the album. There is a natural plainspokenness to his playing as he moves through delicate melodies and intense rhythms. He covers a wide range of material and has created an album that may give you the feeling you are privy to something personal and intimate.