Tamara Murphy Trio - TMT

This impressive album, with immaculate sound, is from a relatively new trio consisting of musicians who know each other well, led by Melbourne double bassist/composer Tamara Murphy. Her two colleagues are well-chosen: guitarist Stephen Magnusson, co-winner with James Muller at the Wangaratta National Jazz Awards competition in 2000; and drummer James McLean, awarded the prestigious Freedman Jazz Fellowship in 2016.

With musicians at this level of excellence, expectations are high, and they deliver in spades. This is primarily a showcase for the unique artistry of Magnusson, a guitarist with a completely individual voice, who at will can flick the switch from lyrical beauty, where Bill Frisell has shown the way, to abstraction. Of the nine compositions here, Murphy has five, including a new version of her lovely tune Kindness Not Courtesy, with others including a nod to Australian repertoire in Bernie McGann’s Brownsville, and John Lennon’s Come Together. Murphy’s solos, built on taste and musicality, achieve a marvellous bass sound that is full-bodied without ever becoming strident. Eric Myers - Weekend Australian