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Ancient Infinity Orchestra: River Of Light

By Chris May
December 17, 2023
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Ancient Infinity Orchestra: River Of Light

Since 2008, when he released his first album, Sending My Love, Yorkshire-based trumpeter and Gondwana label founder

Matthew Halsall

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Matthew Halsall has been the catalyst for the emergence of a regionally distinct, Northern English sound in which spiritual jazz is the primary ingredient. This is unusual in England, a small country where most roads lead to London. The latest beneficiary of Halsall's energy is bassist

Ozzy Moysey

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Ozzy Moysey's Ancient Infinity Orchestra, which, like Halsall, is based in the city of Leeds.

It is quite some band. On River Of Light there are six reeds and woodwinds, including two tenor saxophones and a smorgasbord of other instruments (see Personnel below), a harp, three strings, a piano, two double basses, drums and percussion. And, on half of the tracks, a vocal ensemble, singing wordless lines a little less ethereally than

Kamasi Washington

saxophone
b.1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Kamasi Washington's heavenly choirs.

The album opens with two tracks—composed by Moysey, as is all the material—which summon up the mellow vibe of

Pharoah Sanders

saxophone, tenor
1940 - 2022

" data-original-title="" title="">Pharoah Sanders during his late 1960s / early 1970s purple period with Impulse!. Having two tenors, Matt Cliffe and Will Howard, at least one of whom is a broken-note adept, pays off here. Subsequent tracks feature oboist

Khemi Shabazz

oboe

" data-original-title="" title="">Khemi Shabazz, clarinetist

Oliver Dover

saxophone, baritone

" data-original-title="" title="">Oliver Dover, pianist

Hugh Vincent

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Hugh Vincent and cellist

Michael Bardon

cello

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Bardon. The overall sound avoids, most of the time, cultural particularity, though "Arc Of The Sun," on which Moysey plays the guzheng, a Chinese plucked zither, wears its GPS location on its sleeve, as to a lesser extent does "Equanimity" featuring Shabazz, with its Hindustani-influenced solo voice which enters around halfway through (see the video below).

Moysey makes bass ostinatos the foundation stone of his composing, and he writes good ones. His toplines are not as memorable as his basslines, however, and there is also a certain sameness to his arrangements. This does not work to the advantage of River Of Light as it progresses over its 62 minutes (it has been released both as a CD and 2xLP).

These are relatively minor quibbles, however, and overall Ancient Infinity Orchestra is good news, of which one hopes to hear more.

Postscript: Moysey pulls a blinder with the closing track "Pharoah Sings." It is the only non-modal tune on the album and also the only one on which the choir sings actual words, a sweetly innocent (in the best sense) manifesto, including "freedom...unity...love...joy." The song sounds like a show tune, perhaps a reflective ballad sung by the company before the final belter brings down the curtain. It does not, anyway, sound like Pharoah Sanders unless you count his occasional, delightful performances of "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square."

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Track Listing

Greeting; Rejoicing; Niyama; Michael & Zelah; Equanimity; Spring Break On Trappist-1; Arc Of The Sun; Love Song; River Of Light; Pharoah Sings.

Personnel

Ozzy Moysey

bass, acoustic

Oliver Dover

saxophone, baritone

Khemi Shabazz

oboe

Joel Stedman

flute

Jake Rider

saxophone, alto

Matthew Cliffe

flute

Willl Howard

saxophone, tenor

Evan Rhodri Davies

violin

Megan Jowett

viola

Michael Bardon

cello

George Buchanan

harp

Hugh Vincent

piano

Elliot Roffe

bass, acoustic

John Arnesen

drums

Toma Sapir

percussion

Additional Instrumentation

Ozzy Moysey: double bass (1-3, 5-9), conduction (4, 10), percussion (6), guzheng (7); Oliver Dover: g clarinet (1, 6-9),kaval (2, 4, 5), baritone saxophone (3, 10); Khemi Shabazz: oboe; Joel Stedman: flute (1-3, 6, 8, 9), bass clarinet (4, 7, 10), congas (5, 6); Jake Rider: alto saxophone, percussion (6); Matt Cliffe: tenor saxophone (1, 3, 5, 6, 8-10); alto flute (2, 4, 7), cowbell (6); Will Howard: tenor saxophone; Evan Rhodri Davies: violin (1-6, 8-10), mandolin (7); Megan Jowett: viola; Michael Bardon: cello (1-3, 5-9), double bass (4, 10); George Buchanan: harp (1-4, 6-9), vocals (3, 5, 6, 8-10); Hugh Vincent: piano; Elliot Roffe: double bass; John Arnesen: drums; Toma Sapir: percussion; Ella Russell: tambourine (2); Isobel Jones: rain stick (2), bells (2); Phil Smith: conduction (7); Choir: Phil Smith, Ruby Taylor, Adam Ash, Alice Spearman, Isobel Jones, Ella Russell, Rose Io, Marwyn Grace, Kamran Amin, Lau Ro, Rubem Aaronovitch-Bruce, Harley Johnson, Alex Bates (3, 5, 6, 8-10).

Album information

Title: River Of Light | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Gondwana Records

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