Carlos Lopez-Real - Carlos Lopez-Real's Mandoria

Latest F-IRE Collective album is Carlos Lopez-Real's debut, displaying adventurous eclecticism, massive emotional range and showcasing his skills as an outstanding composer, saxophonist and improviser.Carlos Lopez-Real sax, Justin Quinn guitar, Oli Hayhurst bass Simon Colam piano/rhodes, Ben Reynolds drums. Guests: Tom Arthurs trumpet, Ben Davis cello, Fini Bearman voiceMandorla is Carlos Lopez-Real's debut as a leader, having been a quiet force at the cutting edge of the UK jazz scene for some years. In it he displays an adventurous eclecticism and produces an album of massive dynamic and emotional range, drawing on a diverse pool of influences including Steve Reich, Bjork, Bheki Mseleku and John McLaughlin.Whilst displaying virtuosic jazz chops where appropriate (his soprano solo on Amelie Moments or his alto on Mandorla), Lopez-Real is equally happy to take a back seat if the music warrants it: I wanted to create an album which takes you on a musical journey, through different textures and colours, and there were points along the way where I simply didn't hear a sax; sometimes less is more.His setting of two poems by Carol Ann Duffy, the stand-out tracks Valentine and Prayer, enlist the muscular cello of Ben Davis and the arresting voice of young vocalist Fini Bearman. Old friend Tom Arthurs joyfully spars with Lopez-Real's soprano on the playful 'Sleep On It'