Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Old Hat Jazz Band: The Sparrow

3

The Old Hat Jazz Band: The Sparrow

By

View read count
The Old Hat Jazz Band: The Sparrow
The Old Hat Jazz Band is a London-based group of young musicians that made its first appearance on record with its self-titled and self-produced four-track EP in 2015. The debut release established the band's musical prowess as well as its genuine feel for early jazz. The Sparrow proves that the band has strength-in-depth, as it swings and sways through its first full-length album of varied—and hugely enjoyable—moods.

The Sparrow is a collection of original tunes by individual band members, appearing here for the first time with the exception of drummer/leader Elizabeth Exell's "Grandma Iris" and saxophonist William Scott's "Ledra Street Stomp," which are both billed as "bonus tracks" and appeared on the band's debut release. The band refers to the album as "Our interpretation of early jazz." It's a valid description of what's on offer—the spirit and swing of the music's early decades is right at the heart of these tunes.

There are plenty of highlights worth noting—Louis Thomas' arco bass solo on Scott's "Feverish Blues," Andrew Oliver's sparkling if brief piano intro to Thomas' "The Sparrow," the jaunty rhythm of Oliver's "Biguine [sic] Du Vieux Chapeau," and the Ellington-esque grace of Exell's "Eternal Sunshine." But above all, The Sparrow is a collective success, a strong set of compositions allied to excellent performances. Thomas' mournful "Blue Town," Scott's fast-tempo and upbeat "Balance Blues," Exell's smooth and sophisticated "Cable Street" and Oliver's irresistibly catchy "Sancy Strut" show the band's range as it moves from slow ballads to faster numbers with the emphasis firmly on dance. If at times it feels like the joy has been lost from jazz, The Sparrow proves that it's still there to be found.

Track Listing

The Sparrow; Passion Wings; Biguine Du Vieux Chapeau; Treasure; Blue Town; Balance Blues; Cable Street; Boatyard Blues; Feverish Blues; Sancy Strut; Eternal Sunshine; Grandma Iris; Ledra Street Stomp.

Personnel

Mike Soper: trumpet; Will Scott: saxophones, clarinet; Ewan Bleach: baritone saxophone; Simon Marsh: alto saxophone; Andrew Oliver: piano; James Kitchman: guitar; Louis Thomas: double bass; Elizabeth Exell: drums; Nick Taylor: cowbell; Joe Webb: piano (2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13).

Album information

Title: The Sparrow | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Self Produced

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

Near

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.