This week’s album is Isla, the sophomore LP by Portico Quartet. Released in 2009, Portico Quartet was made of Jack Wyllie (soprano/tenor sax), Duncan Bellamy (drums), Milo Fitzpatrick (bass), and Nick Mulvey (Hang). Portico fuses the extended, vamped phrases of post rock with the complex structure and harmony of jazz. Like more traditional jazz groups, the quartet features extensive soloing, from saxophonist Jack Wyllie, who has one of the sweetest tones I can recall in recent saxophone history (don’t put a lot of weight in that declaration, I’m hardly an expert on modern saxophonists). An interesting change-up to the average jazz quartet is the replacement of piano with the hang, a UFO-shaped percussion instrument that sounds like a mellowed-out steel drum. Mulvey does a great job accompanying Wyllie during the extended solos, giving the group an exotic, unique sound.
Isla is a great record to relax to, or dive into and take apart. A quote by Brian Eno comes to mind, it can be “actively listened to with attention or as easily ignored, depending on the choice of the listener.” However, it feels wrong to ignore this record. You won’t be able to. Moments of sweet, subdued serenity give way to overpowering, driving sections of pure energy; they demand to be listened to, oxymoronically, it’s an easy album to leave on while doing other things.
I’m really loving this record and I hope you do, too.
