BENJAMIN HARRISON — Nomad (review)

BENJAMIN HARRISON — Nomad album cover Album · 2018 · RnB Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
snobb
My head was full of West African rhythms,Caribbean vibes and spiritual jazz (I'm heavily on new London jazz last months)when I received debut album from Australian multi-instrumentalist Benjamin Harrison,"Nomad".

From very first seconds it sounded like an alien in my room - very familiar and very different at the same time. From rainy London's Nothing Hill I've been catapulted right to American South's highway with groovy music aired by local FM radio. Silky delux sound of well-executed songs didn't fit well with grey sky and dirty melting snow behind the window, but surprisingly for myself I stayed listening "Nomad" again and again day after day.

Benjamin Harrison who plays saxophones,keyboards,bass guitar and percussion on this album spend almost a decade as Cirque du Soleil bandleader touring Europe, Americas and Australia.He started recording his debut album still in 2016 with musicians from different countries he had worked with. Finally recorded material has been finalized in 2018 by renowned studio engineer Simon Cotsworth (Incognito, George Benson, Brand New Heavies, Level 42, Seal, Santana).

For remotely recorded album, the music here sounds surprisingly lively and extremely well mixed, it could be easily mistakenly taken as studio recorded one. Rooted in US smooth jazz tradition it is groovy and funky according to most current trends. Every instrument's part is precisely played and the arrangements are tasty.For fans of more rockish sound there are catchy electric guitar solos and sax soloing is filling more lyrical parts.

From music I heard during last few years "Nomad" music recalls probably Tower Of Power (not so funky though) and Incognito (I saw them both playing live though what means their sound was more raw in both cases). Usually I am listening to quite different music but this album caught me his very own way - I just really enjoyed the beauty of the music and sound.
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