Noel Langley: Syzygy

There has been a 12-year gap since British trumpeter, composer and producer Noel Langley released his debut as a leader, Edentide (Suntara Records, 2014). He returns with Syzygy, an album that offers a partial account of what he has been doing in the intervening years. The core of the album was recorded during a session with pianist Alcyona Mick in 2000. Having also featured on Langley's debut, Mick shares an established musical rapport with him, allowing the duo to explore the possibilities of unrehearsed improvisation alongside three Langley originals. Interspersed with these duets are pieces derived from Langley's score for the documentary May Day. Recorded in his home studio during the pandemic, these tracks make use of the instruments he had to hand.

Also during this time, Langley has collaborated with Lou Reed, Massive Attack and Radiohead. He has also worked extensively as a session musician on numerous film and TV productions. A former member of Loose Tubes, he has more recently focused his talents on producing the award- winning albums of his partner, trumpeter and composer, Yazz Ahmed.

The album opens with "Unspoken," a brief, atmospheric and understated piece featuring Langley against a delicately rendered backdrop of alto flute, percussion and voice. The melancholic mood continues with "Lonely Angel Song." This sees the introduction of Mick, and it is in their interactions that the album finds some of its finest moments. Her piano is a rhythmic anchor for "All's Fair," an inspired reworking of the traditional song "Scarborough Fair." Another highlight can be found in the duo interplay alongside Langley's melodic phrasing on "Beyond Our Ken."

The lively title track proves to be the high point of the duo's improvised pieces, with the inventive "Monde Verde" running it close. Langley's arrangement of Duncan Lamont's "Contemplation" is another piece that hits the mark. Elsewhere, Langley employs an array of ceremonial instruments alongside his trumpet to create a series of ambient textures and evocative vignettes. The album closes with a Thomas Popiolek composition, "Houses To The Sun." His moving, spoken-word contribution is woven into a brass-band-style arrangement featuring Yazz Ahmed on cornet and flugelhorn, Philip Judge on trombones and Andrew Kershaw on tuba.

Langley began playing the cornet at four years old with his local Salvation Army brass band. Syzygy celebrates six decades of music, the clarity of his playing supporting his intricate ideas. The album's strength lies in its ability to unite written duets, spontaneous improvisations and musical fragments into a cohesive statement rich in spiritual-jazz soundscapes.