Album Notes

REVIEW
A 4**** review and album of the week from the Herald :

It HAS been a prolific year for Bearsden-based multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Lindsay. He played on, co-wrote and co-produced Willard Grant Conspiracy's last album, produced the debut CD by folkies Doghouse Roses and composed the soundtrack for recent BBC4 Barbara Cartland biopic, In Love With Barbara. Now, alongside Simon Halliday, he transforms himself into one half of guitar duo The Jazz Readers for a laidback stroll through decades of boogaloo, psychedelic jazz-rock, funk and ambient chill-out. Lindsay drops the names of Boogaloo Joe Jones, Johnny Smith and Barney Kessel into the sleeve notes; to that, I'd also add shades of Ry Cooder on the cinematic Orbiting The Giant Hairball. You could file this under "lounge", but there's much more to it than that, particularly on a gutsy fusion track like Larry's Party. As AAW shifts through a unique texturing of chill-out beats, East European strings, electric guitar harmonics and acoustic guitar solo, the open vistas of world, classical, jazz and trip hop exist within a breath of each other. Roll on, volume two.

CD of the week The Jazz Readers Volume One (Mozie Records) 4/5

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Jazz Readers are Malcolm Lindsay on lead guitars, piano and bass and Simon Halliday on rhythm guitars. With guest appearance from Robert Irvine on cello. Yes that's right, cello on a jazz album. There is also some slide guitar too, perhaps a first? There is also some stunning drumming by a mystery contributor, who was that man?

This album was recorded in Malcolm's 'music for film' studio in Glasgow, in between the soundtrack for Young Adam (recorded in collaboration with David Byrne) and Pilgrim Road (the new Willard Grant Conspiracy album co-written / recorded by Malcolm).

The music is inspired primarily by Boogaloo Joe Jones, the American pioneer of 'acid' jazz, with some reference to Johnny Smith and Wes Montgomery.

We like to think of the music as jazz / groove / lounge, with a pinch of ambient thrown in. Let us know what you think!

Malcolm & Simon play Gibson guitars.