Trumpeter Matthew Halsall seriously considered never being able to blow a note again in recent years. A hearing-damage forced him to stop playing, but he recovered miraculously. Halsell made his name with spiritual jazz in the tradition of
Alice Coltrane and continues to follow that path on A Salute To The Sun in his own unique way. The Englishman has been inspired on this record by field recordings
… from the jungle. Together with his new band, a group of young musicians from Manchester, he has shaped these ideas with soundscapes in which, besides Halsall's trumpet, the roles of the harp and the kalimba stand out. All musicians play servantly and full of devotion. The compositions are beautifully worked out and in the improvisations all the notes sound in place. Besides being a great trumpet player, Halsall shows here his qualities as an inspired bandleader. (JV)more
