There’s a wave of up and coming UK musicians interconnected and revitalizing the Jazz scene. They’re not subscribing to the jazz genre but pushing the boundaries in all matter of styles. Right in the middle of it all is pianist Joe Armon-Jones. Jones last appeared with the Ezra Collective and more recently the Brownswood compilation “We Out Here” which featured Nubya Garcia, drummer Moses Boyd and other newcomers. With his full length debut he’s ready to take center stage. Jones opens up with the scorching title track “Starting Today”. Joined by roots reggae poet Asheber, Jones dynamic flurries on Fender Rhodes are accompanied by Garcia on tenor sax and trumpeter Dylan Jones. They shift gears on “Mollison Dub”, a blissed out dub groove named after Ezra Collective Saxophonist James Mollison. Mollison pairs with fellow tenor Garcia on the track as well. David Mrakpor adds warm rumbling bass lines over Jones’s chords. “London’s Face” is a spirited tune that features drummers Boyd and Kwake Bass along with Oscar Jerome on vocals. This is a superb demonstration of Jones wide musical palette, not to mention his deft touch on the keys. You’ll want to seek out his other collaborations but only after repeated listens of this enjoyable record.
