Recorded by Riccardo Damian at Gearbox Records, King's Cross,
London, United Kingdom, on 21 & 22 July 2016
and were recorded completely live from Mark Ronson’s Zelig studio.
CD1: “The Realm Of Now”.
CD2: “The Realms Of The Infinite”.
It may have a portentous title (a genuflection to the spiritual and very
influential 1960s jazz of John Coltrane), but the second album by the
prize-winning young London sax-and-drums pairing of Binker Golding and Moses
Boyd is the diametric opposite of earnest: it’s the seductive sound of spirited
improvisers letting off steam. Binker and Moses emerged from vocalist Zara
McFarlane’s backing band, and this double-vinyl set continues their duologue –
soulful tenor sax sermons plus earthily funky drumming, fusing jazz, hip-hop
and grime. It adds an expanded lineup on the second disc, including free-sax
pioneer Evan Parker, trumpeter Byron Wallen and harpist Tori Handsley.
The duo’s tracks winningly mix dark, classic Coltrane raptures, infectious
hook-rooted rockers and Sonny Rollins-like calypsos (Fete By the River). The
larger group sets up thrilling rhythm textures merged from Parker’s seamless
soprano lines and a chatter of snare drums and tablas; there are atmospheric
guitar-like harp figures, and dramatically spontaneous two-tenor tussles for
Golding and Parker. The no-frills, no-edits production only adds to the
incandescent immediacy.
