The Dan Forshaw Quartet: Language of Emotion (2007)

Dan Forshaw (soprano and tenor sax) is joined on his newest CD by the sublimely gifted Jonathan Geyevu (piano) and continues his collaboration here with the consistently excellent Matt Hunt (bass) and J Hoy (drums). As you would hope from the album title, the tracks on Language of Emotion reflect a wide spectrum of colour and accent, modulation and expression, as well as passion and emotion. The mix of familiar (oh yes?) and new material gives the Quartet – individually and together – plenty of scope for development and discovery.

There are four original compositions here: I enjoyed the tight, insistent, heady virtuosity of Dan’s It was himself and Jonathan’s Cahoots and Another Land. This is ensemble playing of the very highest order. For his other self-penned work, The Princess of Co. Down, Dan switches to soprano sax to weave a beautiful, haunting, Celtic motif with echoes of Debussy and Garbarek. The overall picture is stunningly complemented by ‘less-is-more’ caresses and touches from Jonathan, Matt and J.

The 1930s Kabarett-type ‘feel’ to Mendelssohn’s Song without words would have pleased the great Felix who strongly believed that his Lieder ohne Worte should not be over-programmatic. You’ll have to go a long way to hear a more ‘different’ version of The Coventry Carol – spaciously sepulchral yet with a touch of attitude that keeps on the right side of the edge. And for me the centrepiece of the album is a gracefully understated performance of Kurt Weill’s My Ship. This track – and the Language of Emotion CD as a whole – is ‘trimmed with gold … aglow with a million pearls’ (and thanks to Ira G. for words that fit the bill so perfectly).

Oh … and watch out for The Frog !

[Dave Beattie, 29 March 2007]