Lophae: Perfect Strangers
Gregory J E Sanders

With Perfect Strangers, Greg Sanders launches a new band called Lophae (pronounced “lo-fi”) featuring the guitarist, Tom Herbert on bass, Sam Rapley on tenor sax, and Ben Brown on drums. Sanders' own take on the band's sound—“a kind of melodic, lyrical, and fairly accessible slightly psychedelic modern jazz, with a few ‘world-music' nods”—isn't inaccurate but not the whole story. With soloing in plentiful supply, jazz is certainly part of the mix, yet the eight tracks have little in common with traditional jazz. The rhythms by Brown, whose background includes stints with Ethio-Jazz legend Mulatu Astatke and his own group Waaju, and Herbert, a mainstay of the UK jazz scene, more draw on funk, Afrobeat, R&B, and soul than standard swing; Sanders' comment, “You might hear echoes of Bill Frisell, Blake Mills, Ebenezer Obey, Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto... and other bits and bobs” is borne out by the material, and anyone captivated by the music Lionel Loueke's been making will find much to like here too. Lophae's sound is, in a word, fresh.

Those familiar with Sanders' background won't be surprised by Lophae's adventurous style. An earlier project by the guitarist was the world-spiritual jazz outfit Teotima, and he's also played with Congolese-Argentinean singer Juanita Euka. For a group that's come together recently, the four play with poise and clarity of purpose. Seasoned pros all, the musicians execute Sanders' melodic compositions with authority and deliver the sometimes tricky material with finesse. It doesn't hurt that each brings a distinctive personality to the group: Sanders eschews distortion and self-indulgence for clear melodic lines and pedals-generated textures; Rapley favours a smooth, lyrical purr that recalls Stan Getz and Paul Desmond; Herbert's electric lines give the music a modern sheen; and Brown's inventive grooves are a recurring source of delight. Put the four together, and the result's a strong group identity. Adding to the album's appeal is the fact that it was recorded live on the floor at London's Fish Factory studio, a move that gives the music a spontaneity and excitement a more laboured approach might have lacked. Live recording puts more pressure on the players, but these four ease into Sanders' tunes like they've been playing them for years.

“Fallout” initiates the album memorably with Brown's skipping pulse and Rapley's relaxed presence, the leader embroidering the performance with painterly flourishes and the bassist driving the groove with adroit choices. While the saxophonist leads the initial charge before handing off to Sanders, the contributions by each player are so compelling one finds oneself focusing on all four musicians at different moments. Like much of the album, the track avoids easy stylistic capture, exuding as it does echoes of funk, progressive jazz, and Brazilian music. Sanders' penchant for atmosphere emerges in the ballad “Dedication To David T,” the tone suitably reflective to commemorate a late friend and Rapley's emoting nicely complemented by the guitarist's washes. The four venture into samba/bossa nova territory with “Vicentina,” a tropical vibe all four settle into with ease, their collective expression a joy to behold. The title track, by comparison, finds them side-tripping to Africa for a percolating groove sprinkled with Sanders's tasty chordal shadings and Rapley's smooth musings. A tinge of African highlife also surfaces in the guitarist's plying in the sunny “Greatfields.”

With Cuban trumpeter Yelfris Valdés uniting with Rapley on the front-line, the album standout “Family Tree” calls forth the band's soulful R&B side. As the bassist and drummer stoke quiet funk fire, Sanders delivers one of his more pointed solos, and the five harmonize beautifully on the changes. At album's end, “Heddon Street” beguiles the listener with a sultry expression elevated by Brown's neo-funk groove and a bluesy, dreamy feel. Generally speaking, Perfect Strangers is an understated statement—“lo-fi” indeed—but no less impactful for being so. The way the four lock into Sanders' thoughtfully crafted compositions provides ongoing pleasure, and the live interplay between the four engages forcefully. When they dig into the tight funk groove of “Negative Blues,” to cite one instance, it's even possible to hear the quartet as some modern-day equivalent to The Meters.

January 2025