Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Oriole: Every New Day

Oriole: Every New Day

By Bruce Lindsay
April 29, 2012
View read count

There's a stark beauty to Every New Day, the third album from Oriole, that speaks of the majesty of vast open spaces. For the most part, the warmth and splendor of these spaces gives the music a positivity and optimism, but there are also times when it takes on a more downbeat and reflective quality. The combination results in a gorgeous collection of tunes, an album of genuine beauty.

The open spaces that inspired the music on Every New Day are those of the Iberian Peninsula, where guitarist, composer and band leader

Jonny Phillips

guitar
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Jonny Phillips lived before returning to the UK and recording the album. The rhythms with which he underpins the tunes come from Spain, Portugal and Latin America. Phillips shows a command of these different rhythms in his writing: the band shows a similar command in its playing.

Every New Day is yet another example of the strength-in-depth of the F-IRE Collective. In his multiple roles, Phillips is the most emphatic presence on the album—his brief introduction to the exquisitely pretty "Mountain Flower" is a rare example of Phillips' solo work, mostly he's adding light but vital rhythmic touches—but he's surrounded by some of the most innovative players on the British scene, all members of this London-based collective.

Bassist Ruth Goller and drummer

Sebastian Rochford

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Sebastian Rochford—best known as a duo for their partnership in Acoustic Ladyland—show a gentler side to their playing on this album. Rochford's light, flowing drum patterns combine with Goller's warm, mellow bass and

Adriano Adewale

percussion

" data-original-title="" title="">Adriano Adewale's array of percussion to set down some exquisite grooves.

The front line players each bring distinctive sounds to the band. Cellist

Benjy Davis

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Benjy Davis is particularly notable: his playing on "Levante" establishes the mood of this beautiful yet poignant piece from the opening bar. On "La Sonrisa Picara," his cello solo heightens the romanticism of the tune and adds a touch of late-night mystery.

Phillips formed Oriole in the '90s. A few years later, a flurry of activity found the band releasing two albums in relatively quick succession—Song For The Sleeping (F-IRE, 2005) and Migration (F-IRE, 2006)—before Phillips moved to Cadiz. Six years on, Every New Day is an emphatic display of Oriole's talents. Hopefully Phillips is ready to take the band to the forefront of the UK scene, where it surely belongs.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Levante; Mountain Flower; Sintra; La Sonrisa Picara; Medem; Temba; Between The Mountains And The Sea; Sherpa Song; Every New Day; Bertha (Intro); Bertha.

Personnel

Oriole

band / ensemble / orchestra

Jonny Phillips: guitar; Ingrid Laubrock: saxophone; Idris Rahman: saxophone, clarinet; Nick Ramm: piano; Ben Davis: cello; Ruth Goller: bass; Adriano Adewale: percussion; Seb Rochford: drums.

Album information

Title: Every New Day | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: F-IRE Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Esperanza Spalding: Buffalo, NY, Apr...
< Previous

Introducing The Eyal Vilner Big Band
Next >

Support All About Jazz

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.