Recommended: Fabled – “Fabled EP”

 

Fabled - "Fabled EP"I’ve been enjoying Fabled, the self-titled debut of the quintet Fabled.  They’re armed with an engaging storyteller attitude that accentuates the beauty found in how one note transitions to the next, how one passage builds up from another, and the way in which many streams of lyricism unite in a single-flowing confluence of imagery.

The easy point of comparison to their style of music would be the Brian Blade Fellowship.  Fabled has a flair for evocative moodiness that doesn’t lose its contemplative nature even when they jack up the heat.  However, a more accurate line to draw would be to that of multi-reedist Steven Lugerner, especially his early works, like 2011’s Narratives.  Fabled, like Lugerner, focuses on the melodic components as a playwright would the dialog, emphasizing meaning as much as the delivery, both phonetically and rhythmically… this, in turn, maps out a path for the rhythm unit to exploit for its own development.

Their debut EP has four tracks running approximately 23 minutes in duration.  It’s a nifty introduction, and holds all kinds of promise for what comes next.

Your album personnel:  Sam Rapley (sax, clarinet), Alex Munk (guitar), Matt Robinson (piano), Conor Chaplin (bass) and Will Glaser (drum).

Listen to more of the album on the artist’s Bandcamp page. Also, explore their music on Soundcloud.

The album is Self-Produced.

Jazz from the London scene.

Available at:  Bandcamp | CDBaby | Amazon

*****

NarrativesI mention Steven Lugerner’s Narratives.  You should definitely check that album out.  It was one of the best things to come out in 2011.  You can read about his music on Bird is the Worm (LINK).