Matthew Halsall & The Gondwana Orchestra

Tracklist:

When The World Was One 

A Far Away Place 

Patterns 

Falling Water 

Sagano Bamboo Forest 

Kiyomiza-Dera 

Tribute To Alice Coltrane 

Back in... Wonderful 2014 LP jazz project.

The Gondwana Orchestra features long-time collaborators Nat Birchall, saxophone, Gavin Barras, bass and Rachael Gladwin, harp as well as Taz Modi on piano. Modi who also plays with Halsall in their more electronic trio shares his passion for spiritual jazz and plays the music with real feeling while the role of the harp here is to bring a touch of 'magical reality' a floating dreaminess that is a vital part of Halsall's elegiac and beautiful music. The drummer Luke Flowers is perhaps best known as part of Cinematic Orchestra, and Halsall describes him as 'one of the best drummers in the world' and hails him for 'playing the music exactly as I heard it in my head', Keiko Kitamura is a Japanese Koto player who is becoming an increasingly important part of the Gondwana Orchestra, her role is similar to Gladwin's in that the koto helps free up the music while also bringing a real sound of the East. Finally, flutist Lisa Mallett brings a love of Indian music to the orchestra, much-traveled on the continent she brings all of her knowledge and experience to play offering a unique texture to Halsall's dreamy melodies.