The Jazz Defenders are a quintet from Bristol led by pianist George Cooper. Their ten track release is filled with engaging hard bop recordings. On the opener “Top Down Tourism” Cooper displays a melodic and deliberate style as he’s accompanied by Nicholas Dover’s assertive tone on Sax and Nick Malcolm on Trumpet. Matt Brown’s dynamic drumming and cymbals pushes everyone on the Latin flavoured “Late” They slow down the pace on “Rosie Karima” and perform a beautiful ballad. throughout this set the band channels the spirit of 60s Blue Note recordings. These compositions show they can hold their own with anyone.
