Andy Middleton represents the best of a new generation of jazz musicians. Superb sound of saxophones, mellow, evident and full. Not necessary - the US saxophone player plays so uniquely that Nomad's Notebook gets interesting just because of him. Middleton forces the audience to listen closely but the effort is quite worthwhile.
Notebook is named that way for a good reason.
The tenor and soprano sax player goes on a musical journey. His fellow-travellers on this album are Ralph Towner on guitar and Dave Holland on upright bass, highly reputable artists in the world of jazz. Middleton's compositions make a balanced and meditative impression on thelistener. On nine pieces the musicians professionally blend traditional melodies and clearly contemporary soundscapes into a refreshingly unique style. This is a dense, atmospheric music with lyrical accents that sets a high value on moods, and has enough space to develop the different sounds.