Inner Space Music - Five Animal Dances

JAZZ

The name most likely to catch the eye on this release is probably drummer Seb Rochford, although the disc was actually recorded back in 2004, and Tim Giles seems to have taken his place in the band’s more recent live dates. Nonetheless, he makes a typically compelling contribution to a band that reveals a fascinating line-up behind the unfamiliar name.

Like Rochford, trumpeter Loz Speyer, saxophonist Chris Biscoe and bassist Julie Walkington are all band leaders in their own right, but they combine in a more collective fashion here, although Speyer does take the lead in providing the ten compositions, including the five graphic pieces – ‘Bird’, ‘Tiger’, ‘Deer’, ‘Bear’ and ‘Monkey’ – signaled in the title. The music is all realised through both structured and free improvisations that may prove a little abstract for some tastes, but draw characteristically inventive and energised responses from the musicians.