Sharp Little Bones: Step Up! Get Down!

Sharp Little Bones began as the house trio at Peggy's Skylight jazz club, a much-acclaimed jazz venue in Nottingham, UK. Consisting of Simon Paterson on upright and electric basses, Paul Deats (who co-founded Peggy's) on Rhodes piano and Andrew 'Woody' Wood on drums, they were later joined by tenor saxophonist Tony Kofi, who joined for a gig in 2020, and the chemistry was strong enough to make the arrangement permanent. The name says something about the music: Sharp Little Bones was chosen as the antithesis of "smooth" and was also the original title of "Hook Up," one of the tracks here.

Leader Paterson is a busy man; in addition to his role as Associate Professor of Music at the University of Nottingham, he has performed at Glastonbury and written for TV, plays and films. The 11 Paterson compositions on Step Up! Get Down! blend jazz, funk, and soul with loose stylistic nods to Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. Members of this hard-working band also convene in various group formats, including A Sketch Of Chet, No Room For Squares, Trio Manteca and Electric Gumbo. Their cohesive playing, borne of many years of group interaction, is a palpable presence on the album.

Paterson's bass is front and center, reverberating through the soulful funk of the opening track "Trent Fields." The deep groove underpins Kofi's tenor sax solo, which builds in pace and heat. Kofi is a formidable presence throughout. Equally comfortable on alto and baritone saxophones and flute, his playing can be blistering one moment and lyrical the next, a versatility reflected in credits that include Abdullah Ibrahim, Ornette Coleman and Donald Byrd.

The title track veers into vintage funk, Kofi riding a catchy, Hancock-flavored melody with characteristic flair. Deats' Rhodes is a refined feature on "Brie En Croute" supporting more fine work from Kofi and a terrific Paterson solo. The lively "Snake Oil" charms with infectious ease and swinging interplay topped by Deats' Moog.

Other highlights include "Lucidity" with Wood skillfully moving the pace; his drums are also a feature as he propels "Hook Up" alongside Kofi's sax solo. "Portman Pie" is another delight, letting in more improvisational space for freer interaction before drifting towards the atmospheric territory of John Martyn's Solid Air (Island Records, 1973).

What makes Step Up! Get Down! work is its balance. The grooves are substantial without becoming predictable, the slower pieces have genuine warmth and the improvisation is expressive throughout. The production gives every instrument room to breathe, while the band's years of shared experience provide both an attention to detail and a relaxed confidence.

Jazz, funk and soul are the ingredients, but Sharp Little Bones have clearly found their own recipe. Step Up! Get Down! is energetic, accessible and full of character; you may want to turn up the volume for this one.