Andy Sheppard: Salt Catchers

Since discovering John Coltrane as a teenager, tenor and soprano saxophonist Andy Sheppard has forged a remarkable career, earning multiple British Jazz Awards, international acclaim and even a place in the UK pop charts. His musical range is equally impressive: alongside jazz giants George Russell, Gil Evans and Carla Bley, he has worked with artists as diverse as Baaba Maal, Runrig and John Martyn.

Equally at home in a big band, solo setting or small group, Sheppard now turns his attention to a new trio with Italian pianist Rita Marcotulli and French bassist Michel Benita. The drummer-less format echoes his acclaimed work with Carla Bley and Steve Swallow, while giving this new partnership its own distinctive space.

The trio may be new, but Marcotulli and Benita are familiar musical companions "with whom I go back quite a long time, but never recorded with collectively," Sheppard explains. Salt Catchers brings together eight original compositions, several dating from the Covid period, alongside a single Carla Bley piece.

Sheppard, who now lives near Lisbon, Portugal, explains the album's unusual title came from a project with the University of Aveiro. During a visit to the Salinas salt works, Sheppard encountered museum photographs of workers harvesting salt, a tough, painstaking job. "Given that the respective tune is rather tricky and hard to play," he says, "it seemed an appropriate title." For the listener, thankfully, the experience is considerably less arduous, as the tune entertains as it swirls with inventive, rhythmic interplay.

"Elevation" opens with Marcotulli's piano before Sheppard's saxophone gradually takes center stage. His gentle, precise phrasing establishes the album's recurring melancholic themes, while the trio's spacious interplay allows the music to breathe. Bley's "Lawns" follows, with Sheppard's intimate knowledge of the piece, alongside the drummer-less format, allowing a natural evolution for the tune and space for all to explore.

Sheppard charms his way through "Encantos," his warm tone flowing between romantic and bittersweet reflection. Marcotulli and Benita provide the highlights on "Draw You In Stars," providing a soft platform for the saxophone before Benita delivers an evocative solo. "Salgado," which works both as a tribute to the famous photographer and also ties in to the title, being the Portuguese for salty, proves to be an album highlight with its flowing saxophone, supple interplay and folky rhythmic structure.

The album closes with Sheppard's serene soprano on "Irene," a peaceful ballad dedicated to his mother. Alongside Sheppard's skills as a saxophonist, Salt Catchers also shows his compositional abilities. His writing gives each member of the trio space to shape the music, whether individually or in combinations, allowing melody and interaction to constantly shift, creating an elegant album that captivates and delights in equal measure.