Review

JTQ : Man In The Hot Seat

The man who bought you the classic remake,the theme from Starsky & Hutch is back at the clutch and he’s ramped it up to fifth gear with this new and wondrous offering. It’s different gear too ( as Liam Gallagher would say ) and marks him out as a budding film score composer with newly acquired orchestral writing and arranging skills that will stand him in great stead.

JT has always upped the ante whether it be, firing up the Royal Albert Hall church organ or, making tubular bells hip again. He’s basically done a Barry White on us and formed his own (Love) Orchestra to back his funk filled and exciting grooves.

His steady and sturdy band of Andrew McKinney on bass guitar, Mark Cox, guitar, Pat Illingworth, drums. attack the compositions with verve, energy and style to burn.

Opener ,’Man In The Hot Seat’ sets the mission statement with its bold and dramatic swathes of vast horns and strings. The percolating slice of nocturnal funk in the shape of ‘Murder On The Vaporetto’ cuts the mustard too, built on a great clavinet groove and sweeping horns.

‘Diametric Opposition, my personal fave encapsulates the sound of film music in the early 60’s with its carefree and upbeat feel over a jazzy vibe and imperious flute playing too and ‘The Gravedigger’ shows off JT’s prowess on the B3 hammond. Suffice to say JTQ have
excelled themselves. If you can’t kick back and embrace the period sound without feeling a sense of grandiose enthrallment then this album is not for you. If, however, you can look back with great fondness and soak up the enormous sense of nostalgia that this towering album can offer with its imaginative and stylish arrangements keeping the music from succumbing to funk driven boredom, then dive in and luxuriate in its innate, aural lushness.
Words Emrys Baird