Brass Mask - Spy Boy [CD]

Brassmask is a rare beast, an octet of percussion and seven horns, ranging from high-flying clarinet way down to bottom-heavy tuba. On their debut album' Spy Boy', horns rise up in mass unison, driven along by diamond-sharp drum grooves and snuffling tuba basslines, parting at key moments to let the spontaneous ideas of individual voices shine through. Formed in London in early 2012 by reedsman Tom Challenger, it's a combination that effortlessly plugs into the joyful sound of free-wheeling group improvisation, heavily influenced by the legendary Mardi Gras Indians – the flamboyant African American street bands of the New Orleans Carnival. Just listen to the great weary lope and finger-popping dance hop of 'Indian Red' – simultaneously mournful yet jubilant – and you're instantly transported to a Louisiana street party in full swing. There are other key influences at work on the album too. On 'I Thank You Jesus' – with its growling, lowdown blues moan – Challenger pays tribute to the old-time church spirituals of the Deep South; while on 'Don't Stand Up' driving, complex percussion rhythms nod respectfully to Challenger's experiences playing Sabar music with Gambian and Senagalese musicians. And hear how, on 'Onnellinen', drums pop and click, riding on the perky, intertwined horn charts to suggest a subliminal reggae rhythm; or how the off-kilter funk of 'Francis P' plays with time, woozily slowing and speeding like a taxi caught in rush hour traffic. In the expansive, painterly charts of pieces like 'Onnellinen' and 'Shallow Water', it's easy to detect the subtle touch of a giant of contemporary jazz yet, Spy Boy presents a lot more than just the sum of its influences. Bringing together eight of the brightest young players on the current London scene, Brassmask dances, glides and strides over its own jubilant terrain.