Being as I was situated along the English coast at the time, I decided to review Portico Quartet’s debut album ‘Knee Deep in the North Sea’, while standing, knee deep in the North sea. Partially to gain the full effect, and partially because I’m an idiot like that. However, being as it was a freezing cold morning in January, and the sea looked particularly uninviting, I decided against that course of action last minute, and settled instead for listening to this beautiful album as I walked along the beach through the murky brown surf, on my way into town to buy groceries.
And I was blown away. I know nothing about Jazz, nothing. But I know what I like. And while I can totally imagine people listening to and enjoying this live in a classy candle-lit club somewhere, sipping good wine. As a soundtrack to a winters beach stroll, amongst the discarded fishing lines, long dead lighters, and all manner of other washed up debris, this album really works. With screeching saxophone at times urging me to strip off and walk out to sea and never come back, and then with softer tones the Hang calls you back, combined with double bass and drums, and says “Hey!”, “Dance, Man, right here on the beach, because really, to be here, right now, you just don’t no how lucky you are!” So I danced a little. And on a cold, grey English morning, by the sea, I felt all the better for it.
Featuring ten tracks (including the hidden bonus track): 1. News from Verona,
2. Zavodovski Island, 3. Knee-Deep in the North Sea, 4. Too Many Cooks, 5. Steps in the Wrong Direction, 6. Monsoon:Top to Bottom, 7. The Kon Tiki Expedition, 8. Cittagazze, 9. Pompidou, 10. (bonus track) Prickly Pear. Portico Quartet's 'Knee-Deep in the North Sea' is a masterpiece of a debut, and an album that everybody should be lucky enough to listen to, at least once in their life.
So that while I only intended to walk along the beach as far as the shops (a twenty minute walk or so), I was enjoying Portico Quartet’s ‘Knee-Deep in the North Sea’ so much, that I just kept on walking.
And I was blown away. I know nothing about Jazz, nothing. But I know what I like. And while I can totally imagine people listening to and enjoying this live in a classy candle-lit club somewhere, sipping good wine. As a soundtrack to a winters beach stroll, amongst the discarded fishing lines, long dead lighters, and all manner of other washed up debris, this album really works. With screeching saxophone at times urging me to strip off and walk out to sea and never come back, and then with softer tones the Hang calls you back, combined with double bass and drums, and says “Hey!”, “Dance, Man, right here on the beach, because really, to be here, right now, you just don’t no how lucky you are!” So I danced a little. And on a cold, grey English morning, by the sea, I felt all the better for it.
Featuring ten tracks (including the hidden bonus track): 1. News from Verona,
So that while I only intended to walk along the beach as far as the shops (a twenty minute walk or so), I was enjoying Portico Quartet’s ‘Knee-Deep in the North Sea’ so much, that I just kept on walking.
You can preview and purchase Knee-Deep in the North Sea: HERE
