Described by its author as "a fascinating exploration of jazz and spiritual music", Sounds Of Light takes pianist Will Todd and his trio to some very personal places on its journey, often using traditional melodies as the start point.
Todd deals both in classical and jazz currencies, which often join effectively here. With the fresh tones of vocalist Bethany Halliday, he conveys his song arrangements with simplicity and charm, now and then allowing himself or saxophonist/flautist Paul Fawcus a chance to let loose on improvisations.
This they do to good effect. The syncopated take on traditional English melody Personent Hodie is especially effective, at times moving into a quintuple metre but just as quickly evading the reach of the listener, who nonetheless can tap a foot the whole way through. The same can be said of Todd's rousing piano and cymbals opening to Give Me Oil In My Lamp, a full bodied expansion on what we normally know as a traditional hymn tune.
Fawcus allows the natural exuberance of the tenor saxophone plenty of room in his own Chant's Meeting, though this does occasionally overpower when he has too much space to improvise. Some of the extended structures do threaten to outstay their welcome in this way, the feeling that after five minutes or so the melodic material is starting to run its course.
That said, Sounds of Light has plenty to recommend it for the freshness it exudes when building upon traditional themes. There is always emotion in Todd's playing and Halliday's singing, a real feeling that these melodies have meaning for them. When the instrumentalists are called upon to expand on these themes they are largely tasteful. Throughout the harmonic language is never over-complex, as some jazz arrangements tend to be, keeping the melody first at all times.
This represents a refreshing new context, then, in which to hear some previously familiar traditional melodies. With Todd's ear for detail and context, they are easy to return to repeatedly.
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