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NATIONAL JAZZ TRIO OF SCOTLAND

Fifth Album by the Bill Wells project feat. words by Aidan Moffat A masterclass in nuance, interpretation and the purifying power of the human voice, Standards Vol. V represents another captivating chapter in the career of a singular figure in contemporary music. For his fifth album as the mischievously named National Jazz Trio Of Scotland, the prolific jazz outsider Bill Wells posits yet another collaborator in the diffuse light cast by his tender chord shifts and understated arrangements. The voice on Standards Vol. V is that of Black, whose other musical activities include the band Babe, Francois And The Atlas Mountains, Rozi Plain and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

TRACK LISTING

I Know Where I'm Going (1:59)
Sigh No More Ladies (2:35)
Vox II (3:33)
Sunrise, Sunset (4:42)
Set Firee To Silver Light (0:51)
So Much Power (3:18)
Gradual Inclination (3:30)
The King Tailors (2:15)
Of Thee I Sing (4:46)
Gradual Inclination (reprise) (1:10)
A Quiet Goodbye (2:28)

National Jazz Trio Of Scotland

Standards Vol IV

    "It's kind of a double bluff calling it the National Jazz Trio Of Scotland," says Bill Wells of a group that is famously neither a jazz band or a trio. "I was trying to be kind of perverse about it, calling it jazz and then deliberately not having anything that actually related to jazz."

    On their latest album, Standards Vol. IV, the National Jazz Trio continue their engagement with classic and outsider pop traditions. In addition to the ten Bill Wells originals and a new version of the Aidan Moffat collaboration 'Far From You', Standards Vol. IV features a cover of Richard Youngs' "Summer's Edge" from the latters's 2005 masterpiece Summer Wanderer.

    Just for the record, The National Jazz Trio of Scotland don't play jazz, nor are they a trio. And while their status as national ambassadors is not exactly official, acclaimed pianist Bill Wells has however worked with many of the key players in the Scottish indie scene from the likes of Isobel Campbell and Future Pilot AKA to the magnificent collaboration with former Arab Strap vocalist Aidan Moffat "Everything's Getting Older" on Chemikal Underground recently.

    Indeed a host of Glasgow's finest have contributed to the new NJTOS album Standards Volume Two with Norman Blake from Teenage Fanclub responsible for additional studio work and lending his voice to Winter Breaks And Back To Spring. Belle & Sebastian's Chris Geddes and Stevie Jackson also helped with recordings But what sets the National Jazz Trio of Scotland apart is the vocal performances by Lorna Gilfedder, Aby Vulliamy and Kate Sugden, with the songs walking a fine emotional line between melancholy and optimism. Though the majority of the songs on Standards Volume Two are written and composed entirely by Bill Wells, there are 2 covers including a version of the traditional Scottish folk song Mary of Argyle and a delightful cover of the Moondog tune My Tiny Butterfly with Gilfedder, Vulliamy and Sugden singing in a round to great effect.


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