"The Scarecrows" review - Birmingham Post

There's a spring in the step, a buoyancy, a tension-and-release in real jazz that separates it from the pretenders - it's a feeling apparent from the opening beats of Reverie, the opening track on this second disc from the Aldridge pianist and his expanding band.

The basic quartet of Amann, Sam Rogers on saxophones, Adam Gilchrist on bass and Carl Hemmingsley on drums is augmented as on the first album by vocalist Sheila MacRory, but this time around there are also contributions from Harry Christian on violin, Martin Schuster on flute and Wolfgang Lackerschmid on vibes and marimba, who also engineered the album in Germany.

Amann writes cool, melodic tunes and prefers a slow pace so there's a quiet reflective quality to much of this disc, making it very accessible and easy to live with. The nearest he comes to turning up the temperature is on Refuge, which has a Steps Ahead feel, perhaps because Rogers' tenor is joined by Lackerschmid's vibes.

There's an intriguing version of My Man's Gone Now, with the vocal underpinned by a funk bassline, and MacRory's other song is the traditional When I Was On Horseback, which suits her unaffected singing style perfectly - strong Breckerish tenor work here from Rogers.
Amann himself improvises like a composer should, filling his solos with strong motifs and logical variations on the theme.

It's well worth it.
(4 stars)

Peter Bacon, 8 September 2001

"The Scarecrows" review - Jazz Review

Tim Amann sits at the levers, controlling everything in this programme of mood-evoking stuff inspired by Robert Westall's novel of that name. Which I haven't read, by the way. But if Amann's ten original pieces reflect the book, I can imagine it being sombre in parts with some sudden shocks and lots to reflect over. Amann borrows from folk styles to create jig like pieces such as the delightful "Waterfalls And Whirlpools". This is intelligent, creative, thoughtful material.

Anthony Troon, December 2001

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