This is bass player and composer Antoine Fafard’s fourth album and features Gary Husband on drums, lead synth and piano and Jerry De Villiers Jr on lead guitar.

Fafard is now UK based but Canadian born and has been releasing instrumental music for over fifteen years and this, like his other albums, falls most squarely into the jazz-fusion pot.
There are nine new pieces on Sphère and it’s all very clever stuff that, despite its apparent complexity, is pretty accessible and enjoyable.

Of course the main driving force behind the music is the electric bass of Fafard, but there is enough space left for the other musicians to come to the fore. Particularly enjoyable is the soaring, and yet understated, lead guitar of De Villiers, whilst Husband’s drums range from delicate touches to more rock solid beats – it’s certainly all very clever and accomplished stuff.

Interestingly the three musicians recorded in three different studios (two in London and De Villiers in Canada), but given the solidity and the way the instruments play off each other you’d be forgiven for thinking that Sphères was a live recording.

This is polished and skilful song writing and musicianship that is intellectually interesting, whilst still being enjoyable. Sphère will certainly make a really great system sing and I can see it being used in dems a good deal.

Most definitely recommended.

Out now on Timeless Momentum.

Stuart Smith