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Slowly Rolling Camera: Where the Streets Lead

By Chris May
July 21, 2021
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Slowly Rolling Camera: Where the Streets Lead

You might imagine jazz musicians are well suited to run record companies, for risk taking and creativity are fundamental to both activities. Mostly, however, musician-led labels have unhappy histories. Either the musician is not from the top drawer and their A&R skills suffer accordingly; or they lack the administrative skills to run a business enterprise effectively. Bassist and composer

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus was an example of the latter. But just occasionally the combination works. Trumpeter

Charles Tolliver

trumpet
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Tolliver and pianist

Stanley Cowell

piano
1941 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Stanley Cowell have made history with Strata-East, a label which sits alongside Impulse! in significance. In Britain, trumpeter

Matthew Halsall

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Matthew Halsall has made Gondwana Records, which he founded in 2008, into a notable success. Also in Britain, keyboardist

Dave Stapleton

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Stapleton has done the same with Edition Records, which he co-founded, also in 2008. That both labels are based hundreds of miles from London, one in Manchester, the other in Cardiff, may or may not be germane to the story.

Where The Streets Lead is the fifth album from

Slowly Rolling Camera

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Slowly Rolling Camera, the project Stapleton launched around 2013 with drummer

Elliot Bennett

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Elliot Bennett and sound designer

Deri Roberts

synthesizer

" data-original-title="" title="">Deri Roberts, a trio who remain the core band. Slowly Rolling Camera sits at the intersections of jazz, trip hop and cinematic soundscapes. Its music is musicianly, precisely arranged and at times complex, but never less than supremely accessible, a winning combination of groove, through composition and improvisational flair. Closest comparators since the turn of the decade are Italian saxophonist

Alessandro Meroli

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Alessandro Meroli's outstanding Notturni (Space Echo, 2020) and Deri Roberts' spin-off group Blackmantis' Devil's Flower (GhostLocust, 2020), which also included Elliot Bennett.

The soundscapes conjured up on Where The Streets Lead range from the turbulent through the chilled, and the guest musicians helping out include saxophonists

Mark Lockheart

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Mark Lockheart and

Chris Potter

saxophone, tenor
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Chris Potter, guitarist

Stuart McCallum

guitar
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Stuart McCallum, bassist

Jasper Høiby

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Jasper H?iby and trumpeter

Verneri Pohjola

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Verneri Pohjola. An important support role is played by an acoustic string octet, with arrangements by Dave Stapleton, who also wrote all eight tracks. The album was recorded remotely at various locations throughout 2020, though it all sounds much more real-time (or perhaps hyper-real) than that.

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Track Listing

You Are the Truth; Where the Streets Lead; Lost Orbits; The Afternoon of Human Life; Widest Possible Aperture; Illuminate; Feels Like Fiction; A Force for Good.

Personnel

Slowly Rolling Camera

band / ensemble / orchestra

Dave Stapleton

piano

Elliot Bennett

drums

Deri Roberts

synthesizer

Additional Instrumentation

Mark Lockheart: soprano and tenor saxophones; Stuart McCallum: guitar; Jasper H?iby: double bass; Verneri Pohjola: trumpet; Jon Visanji: violin; Jenni Curiel violin; James Toll: violin; Victoria Stapleton: violin; Linda Kidwell: viola; Rob Tuson: viola; Phil Daish-Handy: cello; Lionel Handy: cello; Chris Potter: tenor saxophone (4); Sachal Vasandani: vocals (6).

Album information

Title: Where the Streets Lead | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Edition Records

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