Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Alyn Cosker: Onta

Alyn Cosker: Onta

By Neil Duggan
May 11, 2025
View read count

Ayr is a coastal town situated in the southwest of Scotland. It is enjoyed by tourists for its scenic beach and as the location of the birthplace of the national poet Robert Burns. It also serves as the inspiration for Onta, the third album from drummer

Alyn Cosker

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Alyn Cosker, who makes this his love letter to the town of his birth.

Buddy Rich

drums
1917 - 1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Buddy Rich fan Cosker is often found with

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1995

" data-original-title="" title="">The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. In his solo career, he has backed artists of the calibre of

John Scofield

guitar
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">John Scofield,

Arild Andersen

bass, acoustic
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Arild Andersen and

Randy Brecker

trumpet
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Randy Brecker. His versatility, together with his musical interests, which extend beyond jazz, has seen him play with folk/rock band Capercailie and alternative genre-bending bands such as Hue & Cry and Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan. He is joined by his like-minded key collaborators

Tom Gibbs

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Tom Gibbs on Fender Rhodes and bassist

Ewen Vernal

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Ewen Vernal, together with a host of guests.

The title track, which opens the album, is enhanced by

Rachel Lightbody

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Rachel Lightbody, who provides wordless vocals and

Miro Herak

vibraphone

" data-original-title="" title="">Miro Herak's vibraphone as the track ebbs and flows, forming an atmospheric soundscape.

Paul Towndrow

saxophone, alto
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Towndrow joins for "Lullapalew," his chromatic whistle soaring above the stop-start fusion groove laid down by the core band. Cosker's Scottish roots come more apparent in "And You," as

Matthew Kilner

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Matthew Kilner's sax reveals a folk-like melody before Gibbs steadily builds his improvisation. This evolves into a recital of part of Robert Burns' poem Man Was Made To Mourn over a repeating Rhodes motif.

The guest musicians continue to make key contributions:

Juliette Lemoine

cello

" data-original-title="" title="">Juliette Lemoine's cello is a feature of the gentle soundscape of "Cassillis" alongside Vernal's eloquent electric bass. Cosker drives a swirling groove as "Downtown AYR" opens with a folk dance melody from Shetland fiddle player

Jenna Reid-Sandilands

violin

" data-original-title="" title="">Jenna Reid-Sandilands before morphing into Towndrow's saxophone solo. Building on a tight platform of Lightbody's wordless vocals, loops, rhythmic drive and effects,

Chad McCullough

trumpet
b.1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Chad McCullough's distinctive trumpet style offers another aspect of Cosker's compositional imagination in "Fool's Full Heart."

The album reaches a stirring conclusion with "La?rach do Thacaidean," featuring guest contributions from guitarist

Davie Dunsmuir

guitar, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Davie Dunsmuir, bassist

James Lindsay

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">James Lindsay and renowned singer

Karen Matheson

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Karen Matheson OBE. Widely known as the voice of Celtic folk group Capercaillie, Matheson performs a traditional Scottish vocal style known as puirt �� beul, originally used to accompany dancing in the absence of instruments. She delivers the rapid-fire Gaelic lyrics with remarkable clarity, her voice weaving effortlessly through Cosker's hand drumming before the track moves into Dunsmuir's rock guitar solo.

Cosker's continually inventive drumming and ever-evolving motion show why he is so highly sought after. His paean to Ayr offers a broad and intriguing palette of musical styles blending fusion, folk, rock and jazz into a captivating whole. This is a daring album where seemingly incompatible styles make for ideal partners. He, his band and guests effortlessly merge genres and influences, never lingering too long in one place before inviting the listener to something new, offering surprises and much to admire.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Onta; Lullapalew; And You; Cassillis; Downtown AYR; Fool's Full Heart; L��rach do Thacaidean.

Personnel

Alyn Cosker

drums

Paul Towndrow

saxophone, alto

Matthew Kilner

saxophone, tenor

Chad McCullough

trumpet

Tom Gibbs

piano

Dan Brown

piano

Davie Dunsmuir

guitar, electric

Miro Herak

vibraphone

Leon Thorne

saxophone, tenor

Ewen Vernal

bass

James Lindsay

bass

Karen Matheson

vocals

Rachel Lightbody

vocals

Jenna Reid-Sandilands

violin

Juliette Lemoine

cello

Jim Cosker

keyboards

Additional Instrumentation

Alyn Cosker: drums, percussion (1-7), vocals (1,3,5,6), loops (6), piano (1,3,6,7); Ewen Vernal: bass (1-6); Tom Gibbs: Fender Rhodes (1-7); Dan Brown: effects (1-7), piano (6); Davie Dunsmuir: guitar (7); James Lindsay: bass (7); Karen Matheson: vocals (7); Rachel Lightbody: vocals (1,5,6,); Chad McCullough: trumpet (6); Juliette Lemoine: cello (4); Matthew Kilner: tenor saxophone (3); Leon Thorne: tenor saxophone (3); Paul Towndrow: chromatic whistle, koncovka, alto saxophone, flutes (1-7); Jenna Reid-Sandilands: fiddle (5); Miro Herak: vibraphone (1); Jim Cosker: keyboards (1).

Album information

Title: Onta | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: Calligram Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Joanne Halev at Birdland
< Previous

Ed Palermo, Planet D Nonet, Herbie H...
Next >

Alyn Cosker Concerts

Oct 24 Fri

Harben Kay Quartet

Crookes Social Club
Sheffield, UK

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.