Anyhow

Album review

Saxophonist Leland Whitty was noticed in the early 2010s, standing out from the crowd of musicians that were gravitating towards the Toronto-based experimental post-jazz group BadBadNotGood (which he would officially join in 2016—though he appears as early as 2012 on the album BBNG2). With Anyhow, he marks the release of his first album under his own name. Whilst the hyper-contemporary elements typical of BBNG’s signature sound can be heard on this release (unsurprising, considering the other members of the band also appear on this album: Chester Hansen on bass and Alex Sowinski on drums on ‘Silver Rain’, and Matthew Tavares on the Fender Rhodes piano on ‘Awake’), Whitty still manages to make his own voice heard. He hasn’t done this by focusing the music around his instrument and simply dishing out solos (as many feared) but by taking even more meticulous care with the composition and hybridisation of sound textures. His sound is still undeniably rooted in Jazz and all its ever-changing forms, but it’s the kinetic dimensions of this music that really makes this album stand out. Using skilful sound layering, bold orchestration and production, and diverse grooves, Whitty’s compositions develop both in terms of drama and atmosphere, much like an abstract short film. For a first album, this is a real stroke of genius! © Stéphane Ollivier/Qobuz