Glebe: Gaudi

Few jazz groups have a name as uniquely tied to their shared history as Glebe. The band's name reflects their early days living in a shared flat above a fish and chip shop on Glebe Place, where guitarist Kieran Gunter and pianist Chris Bland lived after meeting at Leeds College of Music (now Leeds Conservatoire). Since then, they have built impressive careers, contributing to projects in musical theatre and the London jazz scene, performing alongside renowned artists such as Elliot Mason, Dennis Rollins and Bobby Shew.

Joining the pair in Glebe are bassist Jack Tustin, saxophonist Dom Pusey and drummer Filippo Galli. The album is called Gaudi and is named after the architect of La Sagrada Família, the famous unfinished Catholic church in Barcelona. The group are further enhanced by guest Tom Smith (UK) on soprano sax and flute, together with vocalists Tara Minton, Clare Wheeler and Francesca Confortini. There are nine tracks, four composed by Gunter and five from Bland.

Gunter and Bland share an admiration for guitarist Pat Metheny and pianist Lyle Mays and their joint work in the Pat Metheny Group. That influence comes most strongly to the fore in "As Blues As You Once Were." Bland's piano commands attention from the start and together with Gunter and Pusey, they produce some of the wide-screen cinematic feel that PMG often created. Tustin and Galli provide rhythmic drive and direct the time changes, making this a terrific opener.

Beyond piano and organ, Bland expands the sonic palette with Wurlitzer and synth, most notably showcased in the fast-moving fusion of "You Can't Write Tears." The track sparkles with tightly woven saxophone and guitar interplay, punctuated by Galli's crisp drumming. The band reaches its zenith with "Il Regno Della Tomba," where a Brazilian musical undercurrent provides an expansive canvas for Tustin, Gunter and Bland to deliver exceptional solo performances. The album's instrumental repertoire continues with the inventive and uplifting "Kirkstall Abbey" (named after a ruined monastery in Leeds) and "Gaudi's Blues," a track characterised by its unconventional rhythmic shifts, compelling guitar work and a dynamic closing section that allows Galli to unleash his full percussive prowess.

Tara Minton adds vocals, harp and lyrics to Gunter's music on the personal and moving "Haflinger." Her warmth and clarity combine with Bland's well-judged synth atmospherics and Pusey's deft bass clarinet exploration to create a folky, mesmerising charm. Along with Wheeler and Confortini, she also provides vocals on the late 1960s style sway of the extended "Ruby" and wordless vocals on "L'Iseran." Metheny and Mays' influence is evident once more on this tune and the track's journey is elevated further by Smith's flute and fine soprano sax.

The group successfully blends improvisation, melodic appeal and skillful arrangements to create a broad range of musical styles. The album offers much to enjoy and benefits from repeated listens to reveal its rhythmic variations, creative phrasing and terrific musicianship.

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