Kyle's latest Candid offering is a marvellous collection of scintillating, highly listenable quality jazz in the contemporary mode. Staying true to his roots Kyle set out in the summer of 2010 to capture on disc the energy, spirit and charisma with which his band has toured all over the world. The Chateau Couronneau in Bordeaux country in France turned out to be the ideal place to give free rein to the band's individual and collective talents.
Kyle has emerged not only as a world class bassist but also is now one of the finest composers in jazz today. Ally this imposing talent to the individual skills of the musicians and the underlying energy which comes from the admirable empathy the band has achieved through regularly playing together and the results are truly stunning.
Kyle has emerged not only as a world class bassist but also is now one of the finest composers in jazz today. Ally this imposing talent to the individual skills of the musicians and the underlying energy which comes from the admirable empathy the band has achieved through regularly playing together and the results are truly stunning.
Review: guardian.co.uk,
Kyle Eastwood and his UK band are touring with this simple, soul-and-Latin-jazzy mix of handy hooks for the hard-boppish hornblowing of Graeme Flowers and saxist Graeme Blevins that sometimes mirrors the economical and unhurried delivery of Kyle's father, Clint. Eastwood Jr, a jazz lover from childhood and a workmanlike bassist on upright and guitar, has branched out from the blend of jazz and dance-groove technology that made his Candid debut Paris Blue an uneasy mix, opting instead for a hard bop and 70s soul-jazz repertoire. It won't stun the cognoscenti, but it's played with honesty and quiet relish, and though some tunes lack muscle, others exert a deceptive charm. A soulful, smoky-sax opener launches fiery solos from both Graemes; Blevins gets into Sonny Rollins territory on Cafe Calypso; and the smouldering Andalucia unsurprisingly has Sketches of Spain hints. The soul-funky finale Down at Ronnie's fires a blazing trumpet/sax exchange, and that eloquent pianist Andrew McCormack sustains his familiar knack of making every solo count. It won't change jazz, but it might change the size of the audience a little.
