SLAMCD 321

CD title: SHaK

Artists: George Haslam saxophone, Esmond Selwyn guitar, Steve Kershaw bass.

1Big noise from Winnetka (Crosby, Haggart) 6.14

2My Romance (Rogers, Hart) 7.10

3El Manicero (Simons) 6.26

4Yardbird Suite (Parker) 3.54

5Over the Rainbow (Arlen, Harburg) 4.17

6Alfie (Rollins) 5.01

7Can't help loving that man (Kern, Hammerstein) 2.44

8Morning After (Haslam) 4.33

9Stella by Starlight (Young) 3.42

10I guess I'll have to change my plan (Schwartz,Dietz) 4.51

11Polka Dots and Moonbeams (Burke, van Heusen) 6.05

12Blue Monk (Monk) 8.25

Notes: Tracks 3 and 10 sax/bass duo

Tracks 5 and 9 solo guitar

Recorded recorded by Eric Smith at Bullpen Studios, Oxon..

Tracks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 11 20 July 2005.

Tracks 1, 5, 7, 9, 12. 30 January 2006.

Tracks 3, 10. 1 August 2006.

Design and photos by Irmgard Hueppe

SHaK [ESMOND SELWYN/GEORGE HASLAM/STEVE KERSHAW] - SHaK (Slam 321; UK) Featuring Esmond Selwyn on guitar, George Haslam on baritone sax and Steve Kershaw on acoustic bass. Esmond Selwyn is considered to be one of the greatest jazz guitarists to come from the UK. To be honest, I hadn't heard of him before hearing his two new discs on George Haslam's Slam label, one solo and one trio. For this, the trio offering, ShaK play mostly well-worn standards like "Over the Rainbow," "Stella by Starlight," "Polka Dots and Moonbeams," as well as Bird's "Yardbird Suite" and "Blue Monk." This is a fine trio that use their instrumentation, hollow-body electric guitar, bari sax and acoustic bass, just right. Mr. Selwyn has a warm, round tone similar to the tone of Pat Martino. Bassist Steve Kershaw does a great job of slapping that bass to provide the rhythm section role. I dig the way he strums his bass rhythmically on "El Manicero", creating an exotic, hypnotic groove and then adding a lush bowed bass line below. "Yardbird Suite" is taken at a brisk pace and both Esmond and George take great solos. Mr. Selwyn occasionally reminds me of Joe Pass with the way he embellishes these standards with elegance and consistently creative but restrained sparks. This disc might be a bit too straight ahead for some of the DMG listeners who like things further out, but the playing is superb and tasty throughout. – BLG - Downtown Music Gallery

SHaK è il titolo dell’album firmato da un trio che si fregia dello stesso nome e che è composto dal chitarrista Esmond Selwyn, dal saxofonista George Haslam e dal bassista Steve Kershaw. I tre affrontano con competenza un repertorio molto variegato che li vede alle prese con molti standard e un solo originale firmato da saxofonista. Passiamo dalla "Yardbird Suite" di Charlie Parker a "Blue Monk" di Thelonious Monk, senza scordare "My Romance", "Over The Rainbow", "Alfie", "Stella by Starlight", "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" e così via. Il sax baritono di Haslam sembra essere l’elemento centrale e più caratterizzante, con la sua profondità timbrica sempre ben in evidenza. I due compagni lo circondano di idee e di supporto e non si lasciano mancare escursioni solistiche ben calibrate. Il mondo di riferimento sembra essere quello degli anni cinquanta e sessanta, senza troppa voglia di scossoni e di salti in avanti, anche se non manca qualche ammiccamento alla scena contemporanea. Un delizioso profumo retrò che si ciba di ritmo e di improvvisazione, secondo l’antica ricetta che sta alla base del jazz.

SHaK is the title of the album signed by a trio that bears the same name and which is composed by guitarist Esmond Selwyn, saxophonist George Haslam and bassist Steve Kershaw. The three competently face a very varied repertoire that sees them struggling with many standards and only one original signed by saxophonist. Let's move from the "Yardbird Suite" by Charlie Parker to "Blue Monk" by Thelonious Monk, without forgetting "My Romance", "Over The Rainbow", "Alfie", "Star by Starlight", "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" and so on . Haslam's baritone saxophone seems to be the central and most characterizing element, with its timbre depth always well in evidence. The two companions surround him with ideas and support and do not miss well calibrated solo tours. The world of reference seems to be that of the fifties and sixties, without too much desire for jolts and leaps forward, even if there is no lack of a wink to the contemporary scene. A delicious retro scent that feeds on rhythm and improvisation, according to the ancient recipe that underlies jazz.

Luigi Santosuosso & Claudio Casanova

AAJ Italia Feb 2008. http://italia.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=2034

Musicboom.it Dec. 2007.

Standards senza batteria di Cosimo Parisi

Il sassofonista baritono inglese George Haslam non ha mai negato i suoilegami con il mainstream, pur se dirige una casa discografica che ospita per lo più incisioni di musica creativa e lui stesso è presente su molte session, anche altrove, del genere. Tuttavia, se non fosse libero ("free") di fare quello che vuole, la sua musica non sarebbe free come desidera: un gioco di parole per farci capire come di tanto in tanto si diverta a suonare con le note ed armonie che di solito si imparano nelle scuole di musica. Su SHaK, dal nome dei componenti del trio, si diverte a pescare dal grande Songbook americano, canzoni famose come "Stella by Starlight" e "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" su cui hanno improvvisato generazioni di jazzisti. Con lui i connazionali Esmond Selwyn alla chitarra e Steve Kershaw al contrabbasso, musicisti provenienti da esperienze diverse che per l´occasione si trovano a confrontarsi con strutture su cui tutti hanno avuto modo di studiare. Il risultato è di tutto rispetto: specie per chi conosce la maestria di Selwyn alla chitarra i dubbi sono fugati fin dall´inizio. È un bravissimo improvvisatore di chitarra jazz, intepretata così come hanno insegnato i grandi del passato, dal notevole senso armonico. Abituati ormai a modelli come Bill Frisell o Pat Metheny, ci si diverte ad ascoltare un tipo di suono e di interpretazione quasi scomparso dai concerti. Haslam è al sax baritonomolto comunicativo, fluido, agile anche su brani insoliti per lui come la "Yardbird Suite" di Charlie Parker. Ben sostenuti dall´attacco poderoso di Kershaw, i due musicisti mostrano che non hanno alcun bisogno di un batterista: il disco scorre gradevole dall´inizio alla fine, un rinnovato incontro con gli standards che si chiude con un memorabile "Blue Monk".

The English baritone saxophonist George Haslam has never denied his bindings with the mainstream, although he runs a record company that hosts mostly incisions of creative music and he is present on many sessions, even elsewhere, of the genre. However, if it were not free ("free") to do what he wants, his music would not be as free as he wants: a play on words to make us understand how he occasionally enjoys playing with notes and harmonies that usually they are learned in music schools. On SHaK, from the name of the trio members, he enjoys fishing from the great American Songbook, famous songs like "Stella by Starlight" and "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" on which they have improvised generations of jazz musicians. With him the countrymen Esmond Selwyn on guitar and Steve Kershaw on double bass, musicians coming from different experiences who for the occasion find themselves confronted with structures on which everyone has had the opportunity to study. The result is very respectable: especially for those who know Selwyn's mastery of the guitar, doubts are dispelled from the beginning. He is a very good jazz guitar improviser, interpreted as taught by the great men of the past, with a remarkable sense of harmony. Now used to models like Bill Frisell or Pat Metheny, it is fun to listen to a kind of sound and interpretation almost disappeared from concerts. Haslam is a saxophone baritone communicative, fluid, agile even on unusual songs for him as the "Yardbird Suite" by Charlie Parker. Well supported by Kershaw's powerful attack, the two musicians show that they do not need a drummer: the record runs pleasantly from beginning to end, a renewed meeting with the standards that ends with a memorable "Blue Monk".

Jazz Review September 2007

Usually SLAM and label-owner Haslam are associated with broadly left-field projects, like CD 322 September Spring. SHaK, however, presents modern-mainstream interpretations of standards and jazz classics, with an original thrown in. The trio romps its way through a programme drawn from three sessions over a 13-month period: with this music the real-time order is less important and tracks from each date are interleaved.

I said "romps", but sometimes "smooches" or "ambles insouciantly" is more accurate. To pick out a few plums: "Winetka" and "El Manicero", aka "The Peanut Vendor", are great fun, it’s interesting to hear Charlie Parker’s "Yardbird Suite" on the big sax. Haslam’s hop-skip-and-stagger tune, "Morning After", is a nice piece of neo-bop, and "Blue Monk" prompts a succulent sax solo. You’ll be glad to know that "Alfie" is not the well-worn Bacharach song tacked on over the closing credits of the celebrated Britflick, but the suitably swaggering "Alfie’s Theme" from Sonny Rollins’s excellent score, sounding as good on baritone as it did from the composer’s rich tenor. On the tracks from January 2006 it sounds as if Selwyn was late and was made to sit out in the corridor, but it doesn’t prevent you enjoying the elegance of his playing.

Few records that come my way are likely to appeal to all our readers but I doubt you’d find anything to complain about on SHaK