Bouncing around the place listening to James Morton’s The Kid out in July makes today even more of a jazz-funk spree, first some Soul Immigrants and resuming now with more new listening, the connection once more Fred Wesley.

Alto saxist Morton (born: 1982), above, has been around a while emerging ages ago widely tipped as one of the future stars of the vibrant Bristol jazz scene and ably fulfilling that prophesy back on his 2010 album Don’t You Worry ’Bout That but this latest one is even tastier after years since on the road. Wesley also guests on this album with his fellow former James Brown band sax section bro Pee Wee Ellis, and also popping up is Andy Sheppard, ‘godfather’ of the Bristol scene, so rare to hear the cool, calm and collected ECM star on a jazz-funk album. Throw in the odd rocker for company with Kasabian’s very credible drummer Ian Matthews on board given the limits of jazz-funk never more than an inch or two away from a party vibe the momentum could have easily faltered but instead it’s packed full of enough fiery licks, ingenious turnarounds and a belting canter of charged up beats aided by lashings of technique by the collective talents on display to keep anyone from nodding off. Morton is a monstrously accomplished player, in the front rank of UK elite jazz alto sax aces (membership: Nathaniel Facey, Zhenya Strigalev, Chris Williams of the new breed by my reckoning), and remains in terms of style in his preferred Maceo Parker zone throughout, a spectacularly difficult high energy feat to negotiate. The Matusik Records release is also lit up by some fine guitar solos and the sort of infectious groove that could keep you pumped up and wide-eyed all night long. A classic Craig Charles kind of record as listeners to the BBC radio show may already agree as the DJ has been giving the album a good rattle already. SG

James ‘The Kid’ Morton, above. Photo: ARTIST WEBSITE