'The Strut' from internationally acclaimed jazz flautist Gareth Lockrane and his Hammond organ ensemble 'Grooveyard' was voted Mojo magazine's Jazz Album of the Year in 2012. The epic, ambitious and stylistically wide-ranging record fuses the spirit of the historic soul-jazz groups of yesteryear alongside contemporary jazz fused with gospel, chamber music, cinematic rock, funk and even world music influences.
Lockrane is known around the world as one of the most accomplished, prolific, virtuosic and versatile jazz flautists and composers, boasting an enviable resume full of accolades and awards. He is one of the only non-American jazz artists to feature in the prestigious 'Downbeat Magazine Critic's Poll' and he won a Parliamentary Jazz Award in the 'Best Album' category for his album No Messin.
The album also features long-time Grooveyard cohort Alex Garnett on saxophones, inspirational guitar wizard Mike Outram, Hammond organ wunderkind Ross Stanley, drum dynamo Nick Smalley, and guesting on three tracks on wordless vocals is the astonishing Nia Lynn. Between them the musicians have performed or recorded with artists as diverse as the spirited South African pianist Bheki Mseleku Maceo Parker, Jack DeJohnette, Wynton Marsalis, Mark Turner, Michael Kiwanuka, Seamus Blake, The Rolling Stones, Phil Robson, Carleen Anderson, Tom Jones, Tim Garland and many others.
'The Strut' showcases the wide-ranging palette of compositional colours and moods Lockrane is so known for. He has spent a lifetime investigating, performing, and enjoying music from around the world, and as a highly skilled musical craftsman has fused these sounds, musical devices, and emotions for his own purposes, creating an album full of eccentricity and joy.
Personnel: Gareth Lockrane (flute, alto and bass flutes), Alex Garnett (tenor, soprano, and baritone saxophones, bass clarinet), Mike Outram (guitar), Ross Stanley (Hammond organ), Nick Smalley (drums), Nia Lynn (vocals - 2,3,6)
