14 September 2009
Birmingham Post
Peter Bacon

You'd think that the classic Blue Note jazz of the early 1960s - Eric Dolphy and all that - would have become exhausted as a source of inspiration for young jazz musicians.

And then a young band comes along and changes that view completely.

Empirical have made some pretty substantial waves since they first pinned jazz ears back in 2007 when their first album won a clutch of awards.

They include Album of the Year from both Jazzwise and Mojo magazines.

That one had both a retro, Blue Note feel and yet also sounded fresh and new.

Since then they have lost trumpeter Jay Phelps and pianist Kit Downes, but have acquired vibes player Lewis Wright.

Their second album, Out ‘n' In, is about to be released on the Naim label, and on the back of that they have embarked on a nationwide tour, setting down in Birmingham's CBSO Centre on Friday.

With this alto (Nathaniel Facey), vibes (Wright), bass (Tom Farmer) and drums (Shaney Forbes) line-up, ears were bound to turn towards the 1960s work of Dolphy and vibes player Bobby Hutcherson and the classic Out To Lunch album Dolphy made in 1964.

There are two tracks by Dolphy on the album, and a lot of originals inspired by him.

And the band has also been listening to cutting-edge New York pianist Vijay Iyer and taking inspiration from his tricky timing and oblique approach to modern jazz.

I've been lucky enough to have had a white label copy for the past few weeks and it really is an outstanding CD.

Hear how music can be rooted in the tradition of 45 years ago and still sound like the sound of tomorrow. These guys are seriously cool.