For Record Store Day 2024 the Near Jazz Experience asked Mike Garson if he would like to play on a track, originally intended for the bands forthcoming new album, but instead used for this EP alongside 4 other tunes recorded for the album that didn't make it onto the album, so they are releases those tunes before the main album campaign later in the year. As always the NJE are Simon Charterton, Mark Bedford and Terry Edwards.
The Ep opens with Character Actor Overture and Main Title both of which feature the Bowies favourite Pianist Mike Garson front and centre as The NJE colour in the spaces around Mikes imperious piano on the Overture before using his piece as the adornment for their track, that it was originally intended to be. As it morphs into Main Title the sinewy bassline weaves around the drums with synth washes decorating the piano lines as the sax finally comes in to make this into a slow funky stroll as the bass and piano lead us into the world of a particularly cracked actor.
The Loping Four is more familiar NJE territory with Terry's sax battling against his other sax in a Blaxploitation style funk shuffle.
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Projector opens like they are back on The Fens making field recordings, as a lone trumpeter brings feelings of loss among the cool synths, burbling noises when Mark Bedford's bass comes in it's like they are leaving the Fens and heading towards the dark heart of Norwich in search of who knows what.
MacGuffin is the musical red herring you'd expect it to be, a familiar Near Jazz tune that takes some odd turns, Mute trumpet sounds like it comes from the 1930's, as Simon's drums shake and shimmy against the electronic effects.
The Ep closes with Lockstep that has a super speedy tap dance rhythm over a long key tone.
Find out more at
https://www.facebook.com/NearJazzExperience/?locale=en_GB https://thenje.co.uk/ https://www.recordstoreday.co.uk/
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