Greg Foat Trio

Few names have been mentioned as often in so many different places in London’s resurgent jazz scene over the past few years as that of Greg Foat. Since the release of the brilliant ‘The Mage’ (2019) at the latest, the arranger and multi-instrumentalist can be counted as an authority on the European music scene in this field – with a critical ear for unconventional sound designs full of stylistic facets. Whether with the maritime-infused fusion gem ‘Symphonie Pacifique’ (2020) or with the psychedelic mental cinema keyboard on ‘Psychosynthesis’ (2022), whether with the jazz reformers of Athens Of The North or with Strut Records: The master of tasteful cross-connections takes jazz to places where genre categories lose their meaning and everything from Greek mythology to science fiction is assimilated thematically. Collaborations with Warren Hampshire and James Thorpe, with Gigi Masin and Eero Koivistoinen also emphasise the impetus of a musical globetrotter who somehow gets on well with everyone. Even recent cool jazz blueprints with muzak charm – such as ‘The Rituals Of Infinity’ (2024) – have proven the same: This guy is incapable of doing anything wrong.