KNATS - Knats

Darrel Sheinman's Gearbox keeps championing young jazz talent, fueling the so-called nu-jazz scene in the UK. Ten years after the unmissable debut of Binker & Moses, "Dem Ones", last March 28th saw the release of the self-titled debut LP by Knats. Ten tracks that blend a love for Weather Report-style fusion with a devotion to the elegant, soul-tinged jazz of Joe Henderson.

Knats hail from Newcastle Upon Tyne, where the band's two founders, Stan Woodward (bass) and King David-Ike Elechi (drums), were born and raised. The quintet is rounded out by Ferg Kilsby on trumpet, Cam Rossi on tenor sax and Sandro Shar on keyboards. With this lineup, Knats have been opening for Geordie Greep (ex-Black Midi) across Europe, earning unexpected success. The credit goes to a bright, engaging sound that Knats have managed to capture on record just as well on their debut album.

"One For Josh" opens the tracklist sounding like an otherworldly dialogue between Jaco Pastorius and Joe Zawinul: a stellar groove lights up the night as trumpet, sax and electric piano chase each other the way they did on the finest nights of late-period Miles Davis. Young Swiss accordionist Anatole Muster enriches the harmonic fabric of the following "Miz", a soft, sun-drenched pastoral funk. Midway through the record, the reinterpretation of Joe Henderson's classic "Black Narcissus" shows off Stan Woodward's skill in establishing himself as the undisputed bandleader: the bass lines always sit high in the mix, dictating the pace for the other instruments' solos.

There's also room for a detour into the most spectacular territories of fusion, thanks to Tom Ford's thundering guitar, a guest on the six-plus minutes of "Se7en", which, like a new Frank Gambale, lights up the jazz-rock circus with a thousand iridescent colors.

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22/04/2025