The National Jazz Trio of Scotland
Standards, Vol. IV
Release Date: Apr 20, 2018
Genre(s): Electronic, Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Club/Dance
Record label: Karaoke Kalk
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Album Review: Standards, Vol. IV by The National Jazz Trio of Scotland
Great, Based on 2 Critics
Based on rating 4/5
As pretty much any review of The National Jazz Trio Of Scotland is beholden to point out, they are neither a trio nor jazz. That's despite the presence of Falkirk-born multi-instrumentalist and composer Bill Wells, known for his big band jazz output as Bill Wells Octet as much as his collaborations with the best of the Scottish indie community (Future Pilot AKA, Isobel Campbell, Aidan Moffat). So what is it? It's gorgeous, is what.
Based on rating 7/10
The fourth non-holiday album (counting an obscure debut CD-R) from the misleadingly named National Jazz Trio of Scotland is another exercise in carefully considered minimalism. The project is masterminded by Glaswegian musician Bill Wells, who has roots in jazz improvisation but is also associated with indie rock groups such as Teenage Fanclub and BMX Bandits. Wells composes the songs from meticulously arranged samples of viola, guitar, bass, and keyboards, never piling on too many sounds at once.
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