Bristol-based quintet The Jazz Defenders returns following 2022’s acclaimed LP King Phoenix and a number of notable 7inch singles with a superb new full-length on Haggis Records, titled Memory In Motion.

Building off the foundation of some of their more recent releases, the nine-track recording does a brilliant job of capturing the essence of that classic 1960s hard-bop and modal sound, while creating something fresh and forward-looking. The album also incorporates elements of soul, hip-hop, and 70s influenced fusion, with a strong nod to the dancefloor, especially on tracks like “Meanderthal”, “Snakebite Playfight”, “Net Zero” and the what feels like an acid-jazz throwback in “Rolling on a High”.

Led by one of the UK’s most formidable jazz pianists, George Cooper, who plays acoustic piano, Wurlitzer upright, B-3 organ, vibraphone and additional percussion on this session, the group also features a fantastic cast of musicians that includes trumpeter Nicholas Malcolm, bassist Will Harris, and drummer Ian Matthews, and new comer Jake McMurchie.

When it comes to Memory In Motion, The Jazz Defenders are hitting on all cylinders and have arguably released their best album to date. This is modern-day dancefloor jazz at it’s finest.

The Jazz Defenders — ‘Memory In Motion’
(Haggis Records)

1. Meanderthal
2. The Long Haul
3. Chasing Fantasies
4. Rolling on a High
5. Take a Minute
6. Fuffle Kershuffle
7. Snakebite Playfight
8. Net Zero
9. Enigma (Live in Paris)

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