Released May 2, 2023
Chris Engel - Soprano & Alto Saxophone
Bill Blackmore - Trumpet
Darragh O’Kelly - Piano
Cormac O’Brien - Double Bass
Matthew Jacobson - Drums
A collaborative Jazz group is a beautiful thing. While a certain focus that comes by way of having a leader with a strong musical vision is sometimes less present, diversity of writing styles and an eclectic mix of tunes can provoke a joyfulness when everyone is throwing different compositional ideas at a given project. The Workshop’s recent recording, simply entitled Vol. 1, has a foot somewhere in both camps. There is palpable spirit of adventure throughout the nine very differing compositions, yet the recording retains a high degree of unity, perhaps largely due to the deeply intertwined professional relationships of the five members, all of whom have long worked together in a variety of other settings.
The album commences with a tune by trumpeter Bill Blackmore, aptly entitled Quiet Storm. It is a rather introspective piece that gently passes off passages of high syncopation to the listener in a restrained and stoic manner. There is a lightness to the writing that would not feel out of place on a Steeplechase record from the 1990s or early 2000s - an aesthetic that is present throughout much of the album and something that is very pleasing to the senses indeed. The solos, O’Kelly and then Blackmore respectfully, are both delivered thoughtfully with an exciting moment being the cessation of the bass and drums, as the trumpet glides out over the precipice of the first chorus with simply piano beneath the wings for support.
The ensemble doesn’t linger in a contemplative mode long however, with the next two tracks bringing more force to bear. Bassist Cormac OBrien’s more Bop-orientated Gadget and saxophonist Chris Engel’s Coyle’s Jig, both up the ante with a lot more stick from the rhythm section. Unexpectedly freewheeling and igneous improvisations from Engel whose saxophone feels almost saturated in its timbre at times. He frequently leans into lines on alto and soprano that almost tumble forward on a wave of momentum that is truly a lot of fun to hear. The scented air of County Cork is obviously exerting its influence on the man, if his Trad-influenced composition here is any testament. It is not an easy process to blend Trad and contemporary Jazz, and there is wisdom here in the choice to use the aspects of a Jig as more colour and scintillation, returning quickly to the Jazz once the gesture has been made, rather than labouring an unnatural fusion.
Possibly my favourite track on the album is O’Kelly’s Sweatshop. At the time of writing I have been unable to confirm or deny if the title is a sardonic attempt by the pianist to express grievance about The Workshop’s militant rehearsal schedule, but nonetheless the perspiration has paid off. There is an allusion in the melody to some sort of non-specific Eastern music in the subtlest, orientalist of ways. Drummer Matthew Jacobson excels in the straight eight feel, laying down something that retains a pocket while leaving enough float on the sides of the pulse that a good deal of freedom is retained. He goes on to submit an interesting and musical solo that subverts the primary figure, after O’Kelly takes what is possibly his most cursive solo of the record. Blackmore here too seems very much at ease on this piece and closes it out with some impressive playing.
All of the pieces penned for this record vary wildly, as I expected going in, but what was really striking was the sense of federation about the band. There is a playfulness that weaves a through-line across the entire spectrum of both the compositions and the improvisational tactics the players employ within them. If you didn’t know the musicians were all friends you would probably guess it by the end of the album. Although everyone is taking care of business, and there is no shortage of complexity, the music simultaneously isn’t held so tightly that it feels heavy, or is so serious it is austere, and this lightness gives complex and risk-taking Jazz music a certain accessibility. This is a hard combination of often-opposed virtues to achieve. The Workshop have acquitted themselves with grace and style on this, their first release, creating an album of joyful new music that never avoids the challenging stuff, but is nonetheless surprisingly safe for work.
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