Truth [CD]

Volume 3 of the Jazz Sessions brings original Acid Jazz star James Taylor into the spotlight as he celebrates the 40th anniversary of his solo career. Formerly a member of The Prisoners, who split in 1986, Taylor recorded his first single as the James Taylor Quartet later that year. A take on Herbie Hancock's Blow Up, it was released on the Acid Jazz precursor label Re-Elect The President and marked the beginning of a long association with Acid Jazz, helping to lay the foundations of his acclaimed career and everything that followed. It is fitting that the anniversary of that session is marked by James' first release in a trio format. The Truth sees him joined by renowned musicians Theo Carasco on drums and Orlando Flemming on upright bass, creating a sound inspired by the records Les McCann, Hampton Hawes, and Lonnie Liston Smith were making in the early 1970s. The trio's sound is shaped by extensive interaction with analogue electric keyboards, including the Fender Rhodes, James' principal instrument throughout, alongside the Solina string synthesiser and Hammond organ. The group is joined by Aref Durvesh on tablas, while gospel-trained singer Liz Jai adds vocals to three tracks. The album includes interpretations of Vince Guaraldi's Lucy & Linus and Thus Sprach Zarathustra, alongside the uplifting vocal title track and the cosmic jazz journey of Aref's Space. A fitting addition to James Taylor's catalogue on Acid Jazz, The Truth marks a return to the label that launched his career.