Yesterday on the Sunday Jazz Show we spun a KTRU premier. Hailed by critics as one of the best jazz albums to come along in years, yet still flying under the radar stateside, Nat Birchall's spiritual-jazz opus Invocations would likely sweep the awards for jazz album of the year if not for that Kamasi Washington fella and his triple-LP debut. Birchall is a veteran of the British Jazz scene where he's been known for years and his playing, clearly inspired by the likes of Coltrane, Clifford Jordan and Pharoah Sanders, is truly evocative on the new album from Jazzman Records.
"Hailed by Gilles Peterson as “one of the best musicians in the UK”, saxophonist Nat Birchall remains one of the UK’s hidden jazz treasures. Playing tenor and soprano saxophones, he is a band leader, composer and arranger (and occasional DJ) who has grabbed listeners attention with his soulful sound and inspirational spiritual music."
We played the opening cut, "Song To The Divine Mother," and you can listen to it here.
