The Jazz Defenders – Memory In Motion
In April 2022 I reviewed the CD ‘King Phoenix’ by the British quintet The Jazz Defenders, which was their second album. On April 19th the successor, the third album, was released, which I am only now getting my hands on.
The line-up has remained constant, apart from one change in tenor saxophonist: leader, principal composer and keyboardist George Cooper, trumpeter Nick Malcolm, tenor saxophonist Jake McMurchie (on his first album with the group), bassist Will Harris and drummer Ian Matthews. Cooper plays acoustic piano, Wurlitzer, organ and vibraphone and Harris plays double bass and electric bass.
Once again, the CD brings a mixture of influences and styles, from timeless acoustic jazz (reminiscent of Blue Note Records), to contemporary fusion, where jazz meets soul, funk and hip hop. The opening track ‘Meanderthal’ brings contemporary soul jazz to this party. Then ‘The Long Haul’ sounds lighter, while ‘Chasing Fantasies’ brings swing jazz. Hip-hop via rapper Doc Brown rears its head during ‘Rolling On A High’, a combination that could previously be heard on their second CD.
Smooth Jazz Daily 