CD review: Empirical - In 'n' Out

Published on Sunday 20 September 2009 19:30

EMPIRICAL: OUT 'N' IN **** NAIM JAZZ, £12.72

EMPIRICAL burst on the mid-decade London jazz scene with a major splash, and picked up several album of the year citations for their eponymous debut on Courtney Pine's Destin-E label in 2007. This second release brings a change of label and a change of personnel, with Jay Phelps, Kit Downes and Neil Charles all moving on. The new line-up retains alto saxophonist Nathanial Facey and drummer Shaney Forbes, with Lewis Wright on vibes, Tom "Tillah" Farmer on bass and special guest Julian Siegel on bass clarinet and tenor sax. The album is a spirited tribute to Eric Dolphy, and features nine of the group's own Dolphy-influenced originals alongside arrangements of his compositions Hat & Beard and Gazzelloni. The new instrumentation and focus on a Dolphy-inspired sound gives this disc a notably different sound to its predecessor, but they rise to the challenge in engaged and inventive fashion.