When trumpeter Matthew Halsall dropped his debut “Sending My Love”, his relaxed tone and superb compositions caught the ears of many by surprise. With a successful debut comes expectations but Halsall appears to be more than up to the task. “Colour You” is supreme quality modal jazz where elusive harmonies soar and the synergy that exists among Matthew and the quintet is simply marvelous. Their chemistry shines on the title track, where Matthew’s free flowing effortless playing is a thing of beauty. Also noteworthy is the work of pianist Adam Fairhall, who seamlessly fills spaces with lyrical playing reminiscent of McCoy Tyner. On the track “Together”, Matthew’s fluid solos and the playing of Rachael Gladwin on harp create the perfect balance to this hauntingly beautiful ballad. On “I’ve found joy”, Matthew and tenor saxophonist Nat Birchall engage in restraint yet adventurous rhythmic soloing that sounds as though they’ve been playing together for years. “I’ve been here before” is another beautiful ballad showcases the delicate brushwork of drummer Gaz Hughes who performs on tracks 3-6 while Marek Dorcik handles the rest. Simply stated, “Colour You” is a virtuoso performance by Matthew Halsall. Once again the bar has been raised because I can’t to hear what he does next. Highly recommended.
