Purple / Black Vol.1 [CD]

When David Preston started composing for the project that became his first solo LP, he opened up some fascinating new perspectives, in contrast to his acclaimed work with high-octane fusioneers Preston/ Glasgow/Lowe he found himself drawn to simple forms, textures and moods - 'not going full tilt all the time'.

To realise his vision, he assembled a cast of extraordinary musical explorers. Building on his relationship with six-string bassist Kevin Glasgow as a foundation, he chose multi- genre drummer Seb Rochford, equally at home playing with the avante- jazz of Polar Bear as he is with pop sensation Adele, and rounded the team off with front-rank composer, arranger, pianist and organist Kit Downes. All players whose approach could simultaneously encompass both simplicity and deep complexity, and match the freedom to improvise with a respect for the concision and directness of the song.

David took them into the studio and the band instantly gelled, diving into a mammoth session that yielded enough material for two full albums. Volume 1 - Purple / Black is the first offering - a coherent suite of song- form tunes whose direct, uncluttered melodicism conceals hidden depths that reveal themselves anew at each listen.