Pianist, composer and producer Brian Simpson is back and on fire with his latest CD, ‘All That Matters’, that was released June 25 on the Shanachie record label.
In every respect ‘All That Matters’ is a milestone recording. Not only is it Simpson’s tenth album as a solo artist but is also heavily influenced by the global pandemic. Forced into quarantine and without the musician’s lifeblood of touring and performing Simpson chose instead to focus solely on the creative process.
With Steve Oliver, Nicholas Cole and Oliver Wendell also on board this cool collective began by working virtually before, as restrictions eased, moving to ‘face to face’ collaborations. The result is ten original choice tunes that find Simpson at the very top of his musical game.
‘All That Matters’ is also notable for the quality of the backing musicians that Simpson has assembled for the project. Sax players Jim Pisano and Steve Alanis, flautist Najee, trumpeter Ron King, drummers Michael White and Tony Moore, bass players Dwayne “Smitty” Smith, Alex Al and Roberto Vally, percussionist Brain Kilgore and guitarists Ray Fuller and Yarone Levy are all variously around to lend a hand and it is White, Kilgore, Al and Fuller who support Simpson on the sumptuous ‘So Many Ways’ that also happens to be the first single to be selected for radio.
Elsewhere ‘Mystical’ is a track defined by cool flute from the incomparable Najee that proves to be the perfect foil for Simpsons mellifluous playing and talking of mellifluous ‘A Soft Touch’ (that was composed by Simpson, Steve Oliver and Oliver Wendell) is another number that finds Brian at his melodic best.
Of course as a musical director par excellence Simpson is a veteran of many smooth jazz cruises so it’s a fair bet that his inspiration for the charmingly mellow ‘Sunlit Sea’ can be found somewhere in the oceans where cruise ships roam. It’s a tune that benefits from the subtle trumpet of Ron King and is right up there with the best that ‘All That Matters’ has to offer yet in terms of personal favourites the beat driven ‘What I’m Waiting For’ (complete with outstanding sax from Steve Alanis) checks all manner of boxes.
When Alanis returns to lend a hand with ‘When I Found You’ the result is just as good and although the Latin infused ‘Bonita’ owes much to picture perfect guitar from Yarone Levy it is ultra cool programming from Nicholas Cole that adds spice to the decidedly edgy ‘Whisper To Me’.
Alanis works his magic one more time with his contribution to the warmly inviting ‘Daybreak’ and as Simpson closes out the collection with the intensely rhythmic title cut there is little doubt that this really is one of the albums of the year.