Aaron Liddard & The Argonauts

Nylon Man comes forth from Aaron Liddard & The Argonauts, ahead of Newcastle visit Multi-talented musician, Aaron Liddard, heads to the north-east later this year, touring the impending release of his new album, ‘Nylon Man,’ set for release this October, via Havis House. Liddard, a saxophonist-keyboardist-arranger-composer of the highest order, sees his new release feature a plethora of contributions from guests like Carleen Anderson, Omar Puente, and Miss Baby Sol, mixed with the jazz influences and infusions from around the world, including the Americas, and the Caribbean. A career in which has seen him work with artists including the like of Prince, and Amy Winehouse, whilst covering the widest range of music, but it’s that of jazz that rings truest with the musician; classically-trained, Liddard started on the euphonium, before spending time playing piano and guitar, eventually settling on the tenorsax as his main instrument. Having spent a long period as a regular member of Amy Winehouse’s band, as well as touring with singer Beverley Knight, performing with Maceo Parker and Prince, and playing rock with the Stargazers, and the Boomtown Rats. Liddard has also contributed to over 30 albums, performed jazz with Sheila Tracey’s big band, blues with the Sugaray Rayford Band, and toured in three continents with his group Aaron and the Argonauts, but it’s been jazz that has rose to the forefront of his life, and career. “Jazz is the only living, musical art-form, that is not defined by its exclusions,” says Aaron, regarding something that is close to his heart. “At its truest, jazz is an evolving, aural tradition, and as a musician with myriad, musical influences, jazz is the only home that allows me to fully explore.” It is those traditions, those influences, which he’ll take on tour later this year, including to New-

castle’s Hoochie Coochie, on Thursday 20 October, more as Nylon Man, as he readily admits, is “roughly twelve years in the making,’ and which summarises his career to date. Mind you, there’s some forty-two musicians present on the album; Five (singer Giulia Marelli, guitarist Harry Greene, bassist Paul Michael, drummer Jimmy Norden, and percussionist Eric Young) appear on many of this release’s selections. In regards singer Giulia Marelli, who is prominent on four numbers, Aaron adds: “She is able to tackle every detail and edge with precision and deliver performances with charisma. “Giulia comes to my music with the best attitude, capability and emotional energy.” Taking a brief trip through his album, Aaron looked at the tracks, ‘Corean Castaway,’ ‘Frisco,’ ‘Together Forever,’ ‘Chicken Soup,’ ‘Thru Your Eyes,’ ‘Apples & Pears,’ ‘My Kinda,’ ‘Catfood,’ ’Snowdrops,’ ‘Manana,’ ‘Beautiful,’ and ‘One Million Children,; with Nylon Man named after the cities that have most influenced the Hertfordshire-born musician – New York, London, and Manchester. ‘Corean Castaway’ is Aaron’s tribute piece to the late Chick Corea (American Jazz musician, 1941-2021) and was composed years ago, Joan Viskant writing the lyrics in more recent times. Marelli provides the vocals and handles the wide intervals quite flawlessly, whilst the strings make for a gradual, yet memorable entrance; the complex drum solo is played with expertise by Marc Parnell. You could easily imagine Chick Corea and Flora Purim (Brazilian songstress) enjoying performing this piece. ‘Frisco’ was written during Aaron’s first visit to the United States, whilst walking to his hotel in San Francisco one night after attending a stirring rap opera; the entire piece was penned that very night. Carleen Anderson, who Aaron met while appearing with Norman Connors and Michael Henderson

in a London show, is featured on this track, she singing in a lovely operatic voice that recalls Kay Davis with Duke Ellington in the 1940s. ‘Together Forever’ features a stunning vocal duet from Sannaliisa Ilkka and Sam Grimley, the pandeiro of Norman Jankowski, alongside a mixture of acoustic bossa nova with heavier drums and bass. ‘Chicken Soup’ found itself being recorded in the South American country of Brazil, and has a fine bass solo from Felipe Cortes (who at one point emulates a clucking chicken), and is a particularly rewarding showcase for Aaron Liddard’s tenor and piano. ‘Thru Your Eyes’ is about the long demise of a relationship, and features the dreamy, and eerie vocals from Marelli, over an electronic ensemble. ‘Apples & Pears’ is a joyful piece which was recorded in one take, includes prominent spots for guitarist Greene, and Aaron’s tenor, over a bluesy and funky groove, whilst a real change of pace is afforded with ‘My Kinda,’ described by Aaron as being about “an affair that starts out with butterflies and ends in emotional torture. “It travels from rock, to hip hop, to electro, to highlife, to acid jazz, and back to rock; it always surprises audiences.” ‘Catfood’ is rollicking, yet a little unique, with Aaron being joined by two different rhythm sections (British funk and Cuban) for a brief bit of extra excitement; and the medium-tempo ballad ‘Snowdrops’ begins with hints of the Yellowjackets and includes a particularly warm vocal by Marelli with inventive playing by the leader. Aaron switches to the flowing sounds of the flute for some lively, Latin Jazz, on ‘Manana’ which has infectious percussion work from Young and is highlighted by colourful solos in the tradition by violinist Puente and Greene on acoustic guitar, and ‘Beautiful’ is a calming ballad sung beautifully by Miss Baby Sol with Aaron on piano. The set, it concludes with the political anti-corruption song, ‘One Million Children,’ an episodic and unpredictable performance is about the sins of the world being viewed through the eyes of the youth, and of a temple in Thailand in which one million school children gather once a year to meditate for world peace. Summing up the new release which defines his career to date, Liddard concluded by saying that: “Nylon Man is how I hear music

and its possibilities. “I hope that listeners will be happily surprised by what they experience.” Aaron Liddard and the Argonauts will be appearing at Hoochie Coochie, Newcastle, on Thursday 20 October, further information available from https://www. hoochiecoochie.co.uk/event/ aaron-the-argonauts/ whilst you can find out more on Aaron via his website https://www.aaronliddard.com/