JAMIE SAFIR

MOMENTISM

Chill Tone Records

Jamie Safir, piano/composer; Conor Chaplin, double bass; Luke Tomlinson, drums; Iain Ballamy, tenor saxophone.

Pianist Jamie Safir is a Manchester-born, London based pianist who made his living for the last decade and a half accompanying a host of jazz and pop artists. He is a familiar face at Royal Albert Hall where he duetted with the Australia “Princess of Pop” Kylie Minogue. Safir is a staple at the famed London jazz club Ronnie Scott’s, including acting as a host there for the club’s first-ever weekly vocal jam session.

Safir has toured the world, working with recognizable name artists like Veronica Swift, Jamie Cullum, sax-man Iain Ballamy, award-winning singer and actor Ian Shaw, and singer/songwriter Will Young.

Things shifted suddenly in 2022, when Safir premiered his one-man show called “Piano Talk” at Ronnie Scott’s, also at the Soho Cabaret Crazy Coqs.  Safir’s engaging original music he composes, his impressive resume, easy patter, and ability to connect with an audience caught the attention of Chill Tone Records.  The result is this debut album, “Momentism.”

There is one complaint I must address. These musicians deserve to have their credits celebrated and readable. Who thought it was a good idea to use a font so tiny it’s hardly legible to list the members of Jamie Safir’s band on the inside jacket?  Terrible design!

Getting back to the music, this album shines a spotlight on Jamie’s composer talents and piano mastery.  Beginning with the title tune, “Momentism” Safir sets the tone for his introductory recording.  He starts out very classically, his piano presenting a solo musical idea, until bassist Conor Chaplin joins in, embellishing the lower register. Once he and drummer Luke Tomlinson brush the rhythm into place, this composition takes a quick turn into the jazz lane.

Choosing his repertoire was nearly as autobiographical as his solo one-man show. The songs span his career as a composer, from college days to the weeks leading up to this recording date.

Track #2 adds the tenor saxophone of Iain Ballamy to the mix, injecting a taste of the blues into the slow swing arrangement.

“I’ve been writing, recording and performing properly for fifteen years. It’s been exciting … but I was never the artist,” Jamie Safir states in his press package.

“I grew up in a city with an amazing musical culture and history. Astonishingly, there was a jazz club on my street in this little suburb of Manchester. I worked there as the sound engineer from the age of thirteen (which I think was technically illegal), but I got to support a lot of the British artists who passed through, including legendary acts like Georgie Fame, who let me use his iconic Hammond Organ for my support slot,” Safir recalls.

Having worked behind the scenes in the music business, as well as being a headliner gives Safir an edge. On his first album as a bandleader, he offers us warm tender melodies and eleven original songs. A very beautiful composition is titled “Amethyst” featuring a drumbeat that dances across my listening room like a slow tango. Also, his tune “Clocker” is arranged with a Latin groove bringing energy to this project. However, most of this album is very laid-back and easy listening jazz.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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