You’ll probably know by the end of the first track on this album whether Nostalgia 77 is for you. It’s modern jazz, for sure, but captivating too, with Julie Tippett’s vocal a lovely warm addition to the sound. Thankfully the improvisation, here and elsewhere, is largely tasteful, though the harmonies on tracks like ‘Mice’ might be a bit way out for some, no matter how deliciously descriptive it is! Better to head for something blissful like ‘Lapis Blue’, where Tippett duets with saxophone in a lazy sunny afternoon kind of track. Keith Tippett, meanwhile, offers the atmospheric ‘Four Whispers For Archie’s Chair’, a lovely blend of muted trumpet and piano. It caps a fine, varied album that gets the balance between challenging the listener and soothing them just right.
4 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood
