dreadpirateroberts Some credit can probably be given to the conditions of creating this album – working on a soundtrack seemed to sharpen the band's focus, allowing them to capitalise on individual strengths and the group dynamic.

The compositions, while still bearing some clear influences from Hancock and others, are memorable and varied. There’s a ‘good-time’ feel to some of the music, especially with an almost raucous tone to the opening sax solo of the ‘Suite’ for instance, but there’s still time for more introspection, even melancholy, with the second half. Before Levy takes it that way though, the band showcase a kind of light funk that they keep just interesting enough with solos. Once the piano takes its first gentle, exploratory steps into more pensive territory, we’re treated to a lovely build-up to a bit of a semi-waltz where the rest of the band returns. The piece is quite a showcase and sums up the tone of the whole album nicely.

From there ‘Galapagos Duck’ usher in another long piece, ‘Theme’ which is where the harder funk is to be found, momentarily bringing Hancock’s Head Hunters to mind and giving Hare a chance to show off. Despite the tempo change and unaccompanied flute solo toward the end, it’s much in the ‘head + trade-off solos’ format, though that doesn’t mean it’s ineffective.

‘Carter’ brings back that ‘good time’ feel with its electric piano, once again typifying the Australian cliché of laid back people on beaches with surf boards (or at least it does for me.) It’s a snappy little piece and works as a welcome interlude before the closing pieces, where the listener is reminded how effective ‘Take Five’ styled beats can be on ‘Kate Did’ where the energy is high, before ‘Self “Bloody” Control’ reaches a kind of middle ground between the funkier moments and the gentler piano outro of the ‘Suite.’

This is an enjoyable album, and probably my favourite of theirs, in fact, one of their early peaks, especially in terms of composition. With piano and saxophone taking the lion’s share of the spotlight, especially the soprano, which is usually washed with reverb to add to the lonesome feel to some of the passages, you’ll still notice the rhythm section but part of me thinks this Dave Levy’s album as much as the whole band’s.

dreadpirateroberts Galapagos Duck are one of Australia’s best known jazz groups, having recorded or toured with varying consistency since just before the 1970s, right up until much more recently, and in a variety of incarnations.

Perhaps best known for their jazz-funk soundtrack ‘The Removalists’ their debut ‘Ebony Quill’ was released around the same time and may have been overshadowed a little, but it’s a great record too – not amazing, but enjoyable without a doubt.

Opening with an atmospheric, extended percussion and reverb-heavy flute exploration, summoning visions of deep jungles, it’s a restless piece hampered a little by the short bass and wordless-vocal duet in the middle, but which is otherwise a fine if misleading opener – as the rest of ‘Ebony Quill’ is less experimental. Except for the brief, mysterious pair ‘And Then Out’ & ‘Out and Then In’ that work as interludes, the album is a little more funk and perhaps pop influenced at times, throwing in a few covers, like the partially convincing ‘The Look of Love.’ It's a shame that it sounds a little too cheesy with sax playing the vocal melody (it works better with trumpet halfway through) but the bouncing joy of ‘Tennessee Waltz’ is a great contrast. ‘Grazing in the Grass’ however, (a Hugh Masekela hit some years before) is the best-realised piece on the album. Drummer Qua throws in a playful nod to the cowbell at the beginning, before switching to the ride. Keeping the distinctive trumpet part, the band don’t try and tinker with the arrangement, instead simply stretching the song out to incorporate solos and simultaneously seeming to evoke the Australian clichés of 'chilled out' people hanging out in summer.

Willie Qua’s flute tends to dominate a lot of Galapagos Duck’s sound, and though everyone else gets solo space somewhere in the eight pieces, the focus toward the latter half switches to the saxophone. After the fantastic version of ‘Grazing in the Grass’ the band slow things down with the dramatic but still effective ‘Rivera Mountain’ where the saxes again lead, and close the record with a clear homage to Herbie Hancock, whose ‘Head Hunters’ had been released just the year before ‘Ebony Quill.’ It's an influence that would be felt even more clearly on ‘The Removalists.’ Not to say that ‘Mr Natural’ is unpleasant, but it won’t offer up any surprises, even if the solos are energetic and the rhythm section certainly know what to do. It is a fitting end to the set.

While not as consistently enjoyable as their follow up, this is still mostly enjoyable R&B influenced jazz, with some welcome variety on the originals and a growing funk influence.