Charlotte Keeffe Right Here, Right Now Quartet

Prominent as part of the new wave of young brass players conversant with free and standard improvisation, the UK’s Charlotte Keeffe convenes her working quartet to confirm this stance. Affiliated with guitarist Moss Freed’s string clips and frails, John Long’s double bass plunks and stops and Ben Handysides’ cymbal clatter and drum slaps, Keeffe’s trumpet/flugelhorn stylings range from open horn flourishes to half valve smears and timbral plunger examinations.Nowhere is this clearer than in the following “Wholeness” and “1200 Photographs III”. A companion to the previous tune’s run throughs, the latter expands the tongue-stopping techniques and note hiccups of the other versions to expand their indirect bossa nova suggestions to upfront swing where strangled brass bugling is perfectly matched with centred guitar strums.

Freed’s frails are transformed into irregular chording and string shakes on “Wholeness” as arco bass buzzes and clanging rim shots further expand the extraterrestrial tone references brought to fruition by Keefe’s plunger scoops, unexpected whiny variations and low-pitched portamento runs.

Never sacrificing tunefulness for technique, the quartet members maintain a tenacious, but subdued groove throughout the nine tracks, while integrating interludes of bowed bass expositions, rapid surf music-like guitar licks. It also allows Keefe to dig into her horn’s innards for heraldic blasts and bitten off blasts. On the final “Brentford” the players conclude the instrumental playing by harmonizing vocally on a bouncy melody. This too confirms the teamwork that went into creating this session.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. 1200 Photographs I. 2.  A Horse Named Galaxy 3. Cottontail 4. 1200 Photographs II. 5. EastEnders 6. Wholeness 7. 1200 Photographs III 8. Sweet, Corn 9. Brentford.

Personnel: Charlotte Keeffe (trumpet, flugelhorn and Sound Brush); Moss Freed (guitar); Ashley John Long (bass) and Ben Handysides (drums)

–for The Whole Note April & May 2024