Jonathan Bratoeff Quartet ****
Between Lines (F-IRE CD07)
THIS substantial disc pairs one of London's most criminally
unsung guitarists, Frenchman Jonathan Bratoeff, with one of its busiest
tenor-saxophonist, Pete Wareham.
Better known for his rabblerousing pyrotechnics with Acoustic Ladyland
and Polar Bear, Wareham shows a more tender side here, playing Bratoeff
's originals with care and soloing reflectively.
Bratoeff skilfully mixes chordal and single-string improvisation, but
his composing does not yet match the maturity of his playing. The ballad
Mood Change shows his potential, but a couple of well-chosen standards
- always the acid test of a soloist - would have been welcome.
Bassist Tom Mason and ubiquitous drummer Seb Rochford round out a stylish
group that deserves the sort of exposure Wareham's other groups enjoy.
