| Richard Bolton - guitar; James Knight - alto sax; Mike Gorman - piano, organ; Thad Kelly: acoustic and electric bass; Mike Pickering: drums
The debut solo album from one of Britain's most underrated guitarists Richard Bolton. As the full title promises, City Life (ballads 'n' funk) is a contrasting collection of energetic, groove-fuelled jazz tunes and more laid-back poignant ballads written by Bolton. Richard is perfectly at ease playing virtually any style of music, and draws on jazz, classical, and folk roots to weave his intuitive, sensitive improvisations. He is aided on City Life by Us3 and Incognito groove merchant organist Mike Gorman and scorching funky bop alto saxist James Knight, a hard-hitting intense musician who remains top of the UK session wanted list having played with the Pogues, Kirsty MacColl and others. The album features nine tracks in all ranging from the driving jazz-funk of 'City Life' to the Celtic-tinged ballad 'A Time for Peace', through some cool moods and lilting Latin/Afro rhythms. The rhythmic section boasts Partisans bassist Thad Kelly and drummer Mike Pickering. Also featured on an extra track, Richard's young brother Matthew B's funk mix of the title track 'City Life' is British players: trumpeter Damon Brown and alto saxist Christian Brewer. Of Richard's recent performance with Billy Jenkins and the Blues Collective's 'Summertime Blues' show, John L. Walters said in the Guardian: " Second guitarist Rick Bolton squeezes exquisite solos between equally skilful rhythm parts. One of the treats of a small space like this is enjoying the details of sound and performance at close quarters. Bolton's solos are a constant delight - to us and Jenkins - with the added bonus that in a yellow spotlight he's the spit of Homer Simpson." More recent work by Richard includes his guitar contribution to the soundtrack of the highly acclaimed film Gosford Park. His background in folk music prompted a collaboration with June Tabor and pianist Huw Warren and Mark Emerson on June's album Rosa Mundi for Topic records, on which he plays cello.
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