In the studio with Empirical at the moment, bassist Tom Farmer can be heard on the talented guitarist Ant Law’s upcoming new album, Entanglement (***1/2), to be released on 33 records next month coinciding with a substantial tour. The former Edinburgh university and Berklee student, turned session player, makes his debut as leader at last with this album. With Farmer and Law, Kit Downes Quintet drummer James Maddren hitches up too and interestingly-vinegary former Round Trip saxophonist Michael Chillingworth plus pianist John Turville make up the complete band. Law equates improvising in the album title with quantum entanglement, when particles interact, apparently, but don’t let that put you off, as the improvising here is anything but coldly quantifiable. Law is deeply interested in the concept of a perfect fourths tuning system (tuning the low string to Eb allowing constant intervals between the strings) and is a published author on the subject, but combines the rigour of his academic thinking with instinctive playing of a high order here. His tunes have a holistic feel as the Binney-like Chillingworth runs take hold of the music in breakaway sections displaying well developed improvisational teeth. Not sure about some of the song titles (the otherwise engrossing ‘Entanglement 1 – Janus and Epimetheus’ is a bit of a tongue twister), but the playing is impressive throughout, and Maddren sounds as if he’s enjoying himself, as does the always switched-on Farmer. All the compositions are Law’s except for Trane’s ‘Satellite’, the sixth of the nine tracks. Hear Law’s band touring as a quartet on tour next month at Milestones, Hotel Hatfield, Lowestoft (3 February); Jazz Nursery, London SE1 (7 Feb); Jazz at St John’s, St John’s college, Cambridge (15 Feb); the Cellar, Southampton (18 Feb); Dempsey’s Cardiff (19 Feb); Spotted Dog, Digbeth, Birmingham (26 Feb); Jazz Bar, Edinburgh (27 Feb); and Art Club, Glasgow (28), with more dates in March and April. SG
Ant Law above