Glasgow Jazz Festival

Jay Phelps

City of Music Studio, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

Rob Adams

four stars

CANADIAN trumpeter Jay Phelps brings a world of influences and a catalogue of tales to life in his current set list. From Stratford upon Avon, where he suffered a broken rib while rescuing his mum’s dog from a canal, to Barcelona, Thailand and Brazil, Phelps relayed the music that came from an enforced lay-off and extensive travels through work with a celebratory spirit alongside some social comment and a positive spin on a love song whose inspiration no longer deserves his poetic affection.

Angel, or possibly ex-Angel to be more accurate, was one of several instances that showed Phelps as a capable, smooth soul singer as well as a trumpeter with a strong, firm tone and a sure talent for building expressive, exploratory and satisfying solos from simple, direct phrases.

In a set that majored on upbeat forward motion, Phelps used a variety of rhythms that projected a feel-good vibe and showcased his band’s copious talents. Pianist Rick Simpson, who could be heard rattling through Chopin-esque exercises with apparent ease during the soundcheck, produced a fund of ideas, all played with vigour, poise, precision and great feeling, and engaged in a series of clearly mutually inspiring trading sequences with Phelps.

Their understanding and ability to drive one another forward was particularly noticeable on Everybody’s Ethnic, Phelps’ statement on racial equality, whose Latin American groove allowed bassist Mark Lewandowski to demonstrate his muscular sureness and the splendid drummer Will Glaser to show his very musical approach while propelling the piece with detail and heft. All in all, an excellent opening night session from a band of superbly matched and warmly communicative talents.