Jamie Safir: ‘Momentism’

I’ve heard Jamie Safir several times at the piano behind several jazz and pop singers. Now he’s coming out into the limelight with ‘Momentism’, a stunning collection of original tunes.

And you don’t just get plenty of Safir himself, there’s also Iain Ballamy (sax), Conor Chaplin (bass) and Luke Tomlinson (drums) to contend with and delight.

After the opening, title track, Safir’s trio is joined by the tones of the marvellous Iain Ballamy’s sax on Boulevardier, which gives breadth and depth to every member of the quartet within the whole. It’s clear why this album needed to be made, for us all to enjoy more of the pianist’s touch.

Safir says: “I've been writing, recording and performing properly for 15 years. It's been exciting to travel around the world doing that,but I was never the artist; I was never the focus. The folks at Chill Tone really believed in me and put a lot of energy and effort into making this album happen. It happened at a moment when my life was going through a lot of vicissitudes, with the end of a seven-year relationship and a move to the seaside after 10 years in London. It was a pretty mad time, and a lot of that emotion is in the album.”

The seductive Zacharius combines drama and reflective moments before the momentum continues in Hirsute Pursuit and onwards until we reach Black Star Sapphire, beginning with Chaplin’s gorgeous bass.

Ballamy is back - always on form - for Clocker and we continue through this collection of tunes until the final chords of the too-brief Esprit d’Escalier. Safir leaves us wanting more - back to the start of the album for a repeat listen.

Jamie Safir’s ‘Momentism’ is available on Bandcamp now