Inner Space [CD], Mamma Terra, CD

Following last year's release of Mama Terra's Chameleons (Live Interpretations of Herbie Hancock) and their acclaimed 2023 debut studio album The Summoned, Scotland's leading jazz ensemble return with a new album: Inner Space. Building on the musical themes and ambition of their debut, Inner Space explores both the reality and potential of the human condition, introducing new instrumentation to their remarkable sound. The album was recorded between the band's native Glasgow, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn, under the direction of leader, composer, and producer CAFOLLA, who was joined by Grammy-nominated co-producer and engineer Joel Hamilton. Alongside CAFOLLA (piano, Moog synthesisers, and Hammond organ) and long-time collaborator Konrad Wiszniewski (saxophones), the striking and inventive soprano voice of Rachel Lightbody has become a defining feature of Mama Terra's original take on spiritual jazz. Two tracks feature the iconic narration of Conrad Roberts, best known for his 1971 collaboration with Miles Davis. The album also features classical music stars The Ayoub Sisters as a guest string section throughout, while New York trumpeter Jeremy Pelt returns to guest on "The Observers." Together with an exceptional ensemble of players, they shape the Mama Terra vision: music for the eye of the storm, where fear, beauty, and stillness coexist. The result is a deep and ambitious nine-track contemporary jazz album.