John Key's Strange Fruit - CD

About

This album realises a long-time dream for John Key to capture his music on album. Apart from Sonny Rollins' Pent Up House, these are Key's originals. The variety of jazz sound on this album - from bebop to cool jazz to an acid-jazz style track - shows the versatility of Key and his experienced group and how difficult it is to pigeonhole them into one particular jazz mood. The album takes off with a roar with Key's driving bluesy piano playing and swinging bebop tune appropriately entitled Rough Riffin. It is reminiscent of the wonderful jazz of the late 50's. The mood then slows for a ballad One Step Ahead of the Blues which introduces the pensive singing of Barbara Cartwright. Seeing is Believing finds Cartwright in a Latin swing mode with a positive message re-inforced by Key's bouncy piano. Resaka de Corona keeps us in a toe-tapping Latin groove with an instrument driven along by Sherriff's sharp sax playing. The it's into the 90's for Corner Adorner with Berryman's funky drumming, Fieldes' electric bass and Key's synthesiser. Young jazz fans demand a dancing beat and funky grooves so Key says this is his dedication to that acid-jazz movement, noting with a smile that back in the 70's similar sounding jazz had a different name. A 60's feel hangs around Too Late for Love, a song about a one-night stand. After the lyrical version of Rollins Pent Up House, the band stretches out and Sherriff gets a chance to solo with his soprano on One Stop Drop.