Delicious
New Amsterdam, 2025
9/10
The inimitable London composer and trombonist, Alex Paxton, brings a wealth of ideas and instruments to these 13 adventurous tracks, where plenty of color and melody are present.
The highly atmospheric “Touching Sweetly” starts with Ensemble Modern and Impulse Graz’s animated winds and unpredictable percussive sounds making for a colorful and dynamic climate, and “Scrunchy Munchy” follows with the Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain (NEC) and Riot Ensemble making for a busy and textured version of atypical jazz sounds.
The middle tracks are fleshed out by the Explore Ensemble, where “Justgum Friends” showcases swift keys and wordless vocals via the unusual, avant-garde melodies, while “Mouldy Moany Snog Drip” is a bit calmer, but no less intriguing via the layered voices.
Close to the end, “Flowery Preserve String Mulch Dress Dump” quivers with beauty and blurriness alongside an emotive presence, and “Levels Of Affection” exit with vivid horns, playful percussion and charming harmonics.
An electro-acoustic adventure that’s never short on classical, experimental and improvisation bouts, Paxton’s vision is illuminated with samples, electronic prowess, and orchestral stabs that mesmerize.
Travels well with: Owls- Rare Birds; Adam Tendler- Inheritances