Oriole

Every New Day

(F-IRE)

FANCY some sunshine? Guitarist Jonny Phillips composed much of this gorgeous third album from his band Oriole while surrounded by Spanish and Cuban musicians in Cadiz. This may partly explain why these tracks exude such warmth, but Phillips has form when it comes to capturing the rhythms and language of exotic music, especially from Latin American countries, and casting a spell on listeners with tunes that are quietly intense and condense a lot of detail but can almost imperceptibly grow from enigmatic and moody to joyfully celebratory. The ingredients here include Brazilian, Venezuelan, flamenco, gospel and South African township influences, and musicians from the London jazz scene who bring subtlety and understatement as well as spontaneous creativity to Phillips's musical vision. Ben Davis's cello is equally resourceful whether partnering saxophone and clarinet or holding the rhythm together. Most telling of all, take away everything except for Seb Rochford's drums, as on Mountain Flower, and the music's shape and momentum continue to thrill. A belter.

Rob Adams