With last year’s Gondwana Orchestra album When The World Was One, northern trumpeter and composer Matthew Halsall eloquently blended the tranquil tone-poetry of Alice Coltrane and the jazz intensity of her husband, John, with sounds of a kindred spirit from Japan and the east.

Into Forever expands that lineup with a string quartet and the gospel and R&B-infused sound of the powerful Manchester vocalist Josephine Oniyama. Halsall’s jazz sensibilities constantly lead him to energise the gentlest passages with contrastingly prodding bass hooks, tough drum patterns and rimshot snaps (as on The Land Of), McCoy Tyner-like piano lines edging through Rachael Gladwin’s harp swoops (Badder Weather), or his own unhurried trumpet reflections, as on Daan Park.

The Gondwana Orchestra’s sound palette is frequently gorgeous, and Oniyama’s dramatic presence will undoubtedly broaden their appeal, even if the directness of lyrics may diminish some of their earlier ethereal attraction for some.

Tracklisting:

Side A

01. Only A Woman (ft Josephine Oniyama)
02. As I Walk (ft Josephine Oniyama)
03. Dawn Horizon
04. Badder Weather (ft Josephine Oniyama)
05. These Goodbyes
06. The Land Of

Side B

07. Longshan Temple
08. Cushendun
09. Into Forever (ft Josephine Oniyama)
10. Daan Park
11. Jamais Vu (ft Bryony Jarman-Pinto)

Includes unlimited streaming of Into Forever via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. 

All music composed and arranged by Matthew Halsall, except tracks 1, 4 and 9 composed by Matthew Halsall and Josephine Oniyama and track 11 composed by Matthew Halsall and Bryony Jarman-Pinto

All tracks copyright control Matthew Halsall (except 1, 4 and 9 copyright control Matthew Halsall / Peacefrog Music Ltd

Produced by Matthew Halsall

Recorded, mixed and mastered by George Atkins at 80 Hertz (2013-2015)

Artwork and design by Daniel Halsall

The Gondwana Orchestra:

Matthew Halsall trumpet, Lisa Mallett flute, Rachael Gladwin harp, Keiko Kitamura koto, Taz Modi piano, Gavin Barras bass, Luke Flowers drums, Sam Bell percussion, Chris Cruiks percussion (track 7 and additional percussion tracks 4 and 6)

Margit Van Der Zwan cello, Natalie Purton viola and violin, John Purton violin (tracks 1, 2 and 11), Jote Osahn violin (tracks 3, 5, 6 and 7), Ollie Izod violin (track 5)

Josephine Oniyama vocals, except Bryony Jarman-Pinto vocals (track 11)