Following news relayed in these pages earlier in the year that Whirlwind Recordings had signed the Matt Ridley Trio, more details have emerged about the bassist’s debut album, Thymos. The new album is all set to appear next month with a confirmed release fixed by the label of 14 October. With alto saxophone star Jason Yarde guesting, bassist Ridley, a Trinity college of music graduate in 2005, has put together a strong trio featuring John Turville whose Parliamentary award-winning album Midas first put the pianist on the map in the first place, and drummer on the up, George Hart. Turville distinguished himself greatly at the Shearing Hour earlier in the year particularly in the "little white lies set" www.marlbank.net/lives/406-savoy-period-little-white-lies-a-highlight-at-the

Pretty much a complete unknown himself still, Ridley has nonetheless done yeoman work as a member of the popular Darius Brubeck Quartet touring widely and has appeared with the MJQ Celebration band featuring Jim Hart, Barry Green, and Steve Brown. A SE London Collective scenester Ridley has also collaborated with celebrated oudist Attab Haddad, who is an additional guest on Thymos. The debut album features original tunes and Ridley has been quoted as saying: “I envisaged a sound encompassing the exotic flavours and emotions of Middle Eastern music, with the jazz sensibility of improvisation on complex structures.”
The album launch is at the Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, on 1 October. Further dates include the Verdict, Brighton on 11 October; JAGZ, Ascot on 13 October; the Red Lion, Birmingham on 18 October; and the Edge Arts Centre, Shropshire, 19 Oct, with more dates in November and into December. Pictured John Turville (left), Matt Ridley, and George Hart