If the record label's name and the vinyl album's gorgeous retro sleeve aren't enough of a clue, the first few bars of "The Wrath Of Karn" make it clear. Marshian Time Slip is a contemporary slice of hard bop, from four excellent practitioners of the art. From cool, slow-burning and moody ensemble pieces to fast-paced, explosive, unison playing, the Steve Fishwick/Alex Garnett Quartet is at the top of its game on this impressive and highly-enjoyable release. London-based trumpeter Steve Fishwick and alto player Alex Garnett are out front, with Amerian bassist Michael Karn and drummer Matt Fishwick (Steve's brother) as the rhythm section. Composer credits are split equally between Steve Fishwick and Garnett, who co-produced. The up-tempo blues-form "The Wrath Of Karn" showcases Matt Fishwick's attacking drumming and immediately establishes all four players' credentials as fiery soloists. "Marshian Time Slip" is dedicated to Warne Marsh and Philip K Dick—begging the question, do boppers dream of acoustic sheep? Once again, the players contribute strong solos, with long, flowing unison phrases from the lead instruments. "52nd Street Dream" is a nod to saxophonist Ronnie Scott, who founded his famous Soho jazz club after visiting 52nd Street. Garnett's slow-tempo tune is notable for its restrained group performance. "Kaftan" is Garnett's second composition: a medium-tempo number with some stylish, cool, soloing.  On vinyl, Garnett's "Rio De Ron" opens the second side. The tune is dedicated to the Demerara river "and the joy that can be distilled from it": its upbeat, flowing, melody readily evokes the river's inexorable movement, buoyed by Karn's bouncy bass lines. Karn opens "Primitis" with a brief bass solo. The quartet is a model of restraint once more, bass and brushed drums creating an atmosphere of noir-ish mystery which Steve Fishwick and Garnett maintain throughout their solos. "The Creep," composer Steve Fishwick writes, is "About a person we've all met, or may even have been on occasion." The tune suggests that this particular creep can carry off an air of sophisticated hep-cattery when the occasion demands. "Lickeroo" ends the album on an upbeat note. All four players open up on this fast-paced number, purportedly a tribute to a "Noble bird that thrives upon a riff and a whiff of a Suite Indian Love song." Marshian Time Slip is available as a 180gm vinyl album, from the Hard Bop website. Track Listing: Side A: The Wrath Of Karn; Marshian Time Slip; 52nd Street Dream; Kaftan. Side B: Rio De Ron; Primitis; The Creep; Lickeroo. Personnel: Steve Fishwick: trumpet, flugelhorn; Alex Garnett: alto saxophone; Michael Karn: bass; Matt Fishwick: drums. Title: Marshian Time Slip | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Hard Bop Records ” - Bruce Lindsay

All About Jazz

In The Empire State (Hard Bop 33010) *****5 Stars The Fishwick twins have been earning themselves a well deserved reputation for several years now and I gave their previous disc When Night Falls a five star review last year (JJ0414).  The current disc is even better and was recorded in New York after Steve had played engagements at various clubs in the Big Apple including Smalls and Smoke. All eight tunes were either written or arranged by various members of the band.  Steve himself contributed the opening Jymie, a demanding, fast hard bop opus, and Warne's World dedicated to the late Warne Marsh.  Frank Basile on Baritone takes the commanding opening solo on the bouncing My Blue Heaven which also features fine work from pianist Jeb Patton.  Basile also impresses on his own original Morse Code.  Tenorist Osian Roberts contributed three of the titles including Enid, in waltz time and featuring him and Steve in very impressive style, as does How Deep Is The Ocean.  Lullaby For Eira, a thoughtful ballad, was penned by Roberts as a dedication to his daughter.   Throughout the proceedings Steve Fishwick proves himself to be a world-class player but all the front-line participants take first-rate solos at various points in the programme.  The rhythm team are far more than just support, enhancing the overall performance in no small measure.  Wonderful, feel good, uplifting jazz, not to be missed.” - Brian Robinson

Jazz Journal

In The Empire State The CDs drop through the letterbox daily.  Sometimes my eyes light up with delight but, more often than not, I groan and think, wtf will I make of this?! I'm pleased to say that this album is very much in the former category.  In fact it epitomises what this site was primarily aimed at:  bebop in the new millennium.  recorded in New York last year after the Fishwick brothers and Roberts, along with New Yorkers Basile, Patton and Karn played several gigs in the Big Apple as part of Dave Douglas' Festival of New Trumpet. What a richly deserved accolade for Steve who isn't always given his due as one of the UK's finest trumpet players. Steve can blow, as can long time front line partner Roberts.  Both the Fishwick's and Roberts are able to hold their own in fast company and the company here is very fast indeed!  Basile, an on-call 24 hour Baritone man, displays why he is in such demand and it is to the Brit's credit that they stand tall- shades of tubby's transatlantic forays.  If the album had been released under Basile's name I'd have assumed it was an all American line-up. Steve provided two of the originals as well as arranging How Deep Is The Ocean.  Osian chipped in with three compositions and Basile had two as well as an arrangement of My Blue Heaven that suggested that 'just honey and me, and baby makes three' now had a hip grandkid! Lullaby For Eira and Enid are dedicated to Roberts' daughters - they must be lovely to inspire such beauty.   I first heard Steve and Osian at one of the Scarborough festivals.  Steve and Matt also played an early gig at Hoochie. This is the real deal.  Good enough for Dave Douglas - good enough for me!” - Lance

Bebop Spoken Here

I’m tempted to paraphrase the old musician’s joke about not knowing that there were two 12 o’clocks in the same day when contemplating the Cadogan Hall’s summer-long Out to Lunchseries. Each of these intimate chamber jazz concerts starts at noon on the dot in the Hall’s spacious foyer, and despite what might seem an early start, the audience flocks in, the musicians are ready, the atmosphere is relaxed and almost invariably, the music is compelling. None more so than with this week’s star trio headed by trumpeter Steve Fishwick with brotherMatt on drums and Mike Gorman on organ. Steve is an engaging communicator but above all, a committed evangelist for hard bop’s heyday, deploying themes by Jimmy Heath, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner and most magically for me, by Woody Shaw. The latter’s ‘The Organ Grinder’ with its alluring harmonic movement brought out the best in Steve’s playing, this at once stately, expansive yet exploratory, and always striving, the improvisation taking a linear route around and through the theme, Matt underpinning strongly as Gorman built his own complex response. Having started with Coltrane’s ‘Bessie’s Blues’ with its shapely riff and moved on via Heath’s ‘Far Away Lands’, Steve and company showed their bebop chops on Charlie Parker’s ‘Passport’, a fast-moving line that made the best use of Gorman’s intricacies as the trio found its groove. What with a couple of his own originals and other pieces by bassists Stafford James and Ron Carter, it can be deduced that there was no allowance here for easy options, and happily, no letting up in the audience’s enthusiasm. What we heard and saw was just strong playing by all three musicians, Steve moving into the high register and then plummeting to the depths as he found new things to say on each of these time-honoured pieces. The 2015 Out to Lunch series finishes this week: look out for more of these midday dates next year. ” - Peter Vacher

Jazzwise

British trumpeter Steve Fishwick is well known as a fleet and expert bebopper, but his sideman performances in more experimental groups at the last London jazz festival confirmed his sharp ear for other kinds of melodies and structures, and this set of five original pieces and works by Ornette Coleman and Puccini is a fine showcase for his new work. He is accompanied by rugged Ronnie Scott Allstars saxophonist Alex Garnett, and Ross Stanley and Tom Cawley on keyboards. A standout is the leader’s elegantly winding, rhythmically hip tribute to the great American trumpeter/composer Tom Harrell; he explores the Tosca theme Vissi D’Arte with a ringing, expository tone that eventually turns into a Miles Davis sound reminiscent of Sketches of Spain over Matt Fishwick’s drums march; and the Ornette Coleman swinger Una Muy Bonita smartly fuses Coleman’s bright, tumbling melodic shapes with a freewheeling rhythmic alertness. This sounds like the work of an evidently expanding talent.” - John Fordham

The Guardian

HARD BOP RECORDS 33008 **** Steve Fishwick (t); Alex Garnett (ts); Ross Stanley (p); Tom Cawley (kyb); Tim Thornton (b); Matt Fishwick (d) Steve Fishwick, a most assured trumpeter confident and clarion clear throughout the instrument's range, here delivers his latest batch of largely original compositions with a group of regular hands. A thoughtful player with an ear for the experimental, Fishwick writes in a quirky, unpredictable way which can range from irritating to superb.  I loved his dynamic tribute to Tom Harrell (Harrelin'), but was unmoved by his digressive exercise on the Aeolian mode (Outskirts).  Fishwick shows his paces and invention in the best Hubbard manner on a swift All Or Nothing At All, and evokes the exploratory Miles with a lustrous reading of Vissi D'Arte.  He obviously has a ball playing Ornette Coleman's Una Muy Bonita, while on Rachpu's Blues  band is called on to blow in 7/4 time.  To these ears there'a a little too much elp and sundry keyboard electronics spread about when straight up would be preferable.  Nevertheless, it's a programme where interest outweighs the drab sections. Steve's collegues are all attuned to his vibe, ensuring a collective togetherness, but it isn't all hard bop despite the label designation (HBR has the unlikely headquarters base of Caerphilly).  Worth a listen if only to admire this trumpeter's undoubted ability.  To hear his melodic fluency, try Linda. ” - Mark Gardner

Jazz Journal

WHEN NIGHT FALLS Hard Bop Records 33009 ***** Steve Fishwick and Osian Roberts went to New York in 2007 Where they met up with saxophonist Frank Basile.  Their approaches and ideas blended and it was mooted that they should record together.  This eventually happened last year when thanks to Arts Council funding Basile came over to the UK for an eight date tour during which this excellent disc was produced.  Indeed the six musicians work and blend so well it sounds as if they have been a unit forever. A bright, boppy Apprehend the Fifth Dwarf, a contrafract to Get Happy, kicks thing off with imaginative, fully involved swinging solos from all; note Osian Roberts on tenor who also wrote the tune.  Lost Cave is a finely wrought ballad penned by Spanish pianist Albert Sanz who also has a commanding solo on Fishwick's Dear Old London Town.  Everybody meshes well on this rather intricate composition. When Night Falls is a minor opus played over a relaxed Latin beat.  Fishwick's lovely burnished tone on the flugelhorn and Frank Basile's strong contribution on baritone are the highlights here.  Some Other Brothers motors along in majestic fashion and points up the fact that Steve Fishwick must surely rank as one of our best trumpet exponents.  The rhythm section including Steve's brother Matt on drums is top class.  The CD was recorded at Derek Nash's Clowns Pocket studio, thus guaranteeing superb sound.  The five tunes cover most of the hard-bop bases in a most enjoyable manner.  Highly recommended.    ” - Brian Robinson

— Jazz Journal

Not to be confused with some crude branch of the martial arts, Hard Bop is a straight ahead yet polished jazz style personified by the early groups of drummer Art Blakey and pianist Horace Silver. Britain's leading exponents include Welsh tenorist Osian Roberts and the Fishwick twins, trumpeter Steve and drummer Matt, whose group tours the UK this month. Featured with them on this high quality album are Spanish pianist Albert Sanz and New York baritone saxman Frank Basile. Sanz's expressive keyboard touch reflects Cedar Walton and other modern masters, whilst Basile's angular lines recall the late Pepper Adams.  Steve's trumpet gives the ensembles brassy authority and robert's warmth and fluency evokes a young Tubby Hayes.  four out of a possible five stars.” - Jack Masserick

— When Night Falls CD of the week in the Evening Standard ****

FISHWICK/ ROBERTS/ BASILE/ SANZ/ WHITFORD/ FISHWICK When Night Falls Hard Bop Records HBR 33009 * * * * Steve Fishwick (t, flh); Osian Roberts (ts); Frank Basile (bar s); Albert Sanz (p); Dave Whitford (b); Matt Fishwick (d).  Rec: July 2013   This is the fourth Fishwick-Roberts album on Hard Bop, the previous one having featured Cedar Walton and Peter Washington.  “When Night Falls” is a major step forward and they’ve enlisted a third hornman whom they met up - and played - with in NYC named Frank Basile, who fits in with them like a glove.  A hard-hitter, the facile Frank is obviously a Pepper Adams admirer, while Osian, whose style and sound still recalls the earlier, possibly most feelingful period of Sonny Rollins, is sounding more like his own man.  Steve Fishwick’s solos here – mostly in the upper register – are beautifully played and always excitingly harmonically edgy.  He deserves much wider recognition, too as a composer (two tunes, “Dear Old London Town”, which gets a wonderful groove going and shows Basile at his most melodic and the enthralling title tune, are his) and his arrangement of the haunting “Lost Cave” is another highspot.  “Cave” is composed by the group’s new pianist, Albert Sanz from Spain, who adds yet more modernity to the CD.  Roberts wrote the two up-tempo tracks, with the closing “Some Other Brothers” bringing out everyone’s blues best.  Steve’s twin, Matt is excellent in support, as is Dave Whitford, whose solos are inventive and consistently soulful.  As long as these guys are around, British Bop Lives OK!” - Tony Hall

— Jazzwise

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