Influences and ideas float like seeds in the wind, variously catching the sun to reveal their intricate form, before grabbing hold and taking root

Pig Records: PIG22

Eddie Parker (flute, bass flute, baroque flute, keyboards, piano); Rob Luft (electric guitar, 12-string guitar); Dave Manington (double bass); Jay Davis (drums)

Recorded December 2025 at Porcupine Studio, London

As one of the original founding members, flautist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Eddie Parker was there at the birth of legendary big band Loose Tubes, which burned brightly in the 1980s and had such a significant and lasting impact on British jazz. And like many of the band’s alumni, he has continued to immerse himself in highly creative projects. His latest, Airborn, is no exception, conceived as a suite which draws upon a diverse range of influences – Parker cites Schoenberg and Santana (and no doubt plenty in between) – to produce a work of great richness and variety.

The band members may number just four, but the impact is of a larger ensemble: a result of Parker’s writing, instrumentation and of their collective interplay which keep things exciting and always in motion. Parker is heard on flutes, piano and keyboards, with his choice of instruments setting the tone and scope of each track, from focused to expansive, particularly when he switches to plugged-in keys. Joining him at the birth of Airborn are guitarist Rob Luft, bassist Dave Manington and drummer Jay Davis.

Luft’s first gigs with Parker were a series of Loose Tubes reunion dates at Ronnie Scott’s in 2015 when he sat in for John Parricelli. The pieces here feel as if written with the guitarist in mind, which Luft clearly relishes, playing at his most engaging throughout and meshing delightfully with Parker. Mannington and Davis anchor it all impressively, even during the quietest moments where they have the lightest of touches.

Parker describes himself as a “qualified eclectician”, referencing the range and diversity of his influences. And, as the album cover might suggest, influences and ideas float like seeds in the wind, variously catching the sun to reveal their intricate form, before grabbing hold and taking root. Parker juxtaposes ancient harmonies with 70s-style jazz fusion, passages of classical delicacy and blues-infused numbers working them into a collective whole with a consistent tone palette and vibe that slips down very easily.

The opening ‘Prelude’ provides a grand introduction, building anticipation with a deep, reverberating sound that gradually gathers in volume and from which echoed flute notes emerge as you are drawn into Parker’s world. This sense of journeying is reinforced through a series of short interludes which link and frame different parts of the suite, some echoing harmonies introduced in ‘Prelude’. The effect is like progressing through a corridor to pause and venture through inviting doors into various fantastically dressed light-filled rooms that sparkle with colour.

On ‘Airborn 1’ Luft’s soaring guitar traces a line of rising altitude around Parker’s electric keys. A pastoral folk melody surrounds on ‘Airborn 2’, sketched though a delightful laid-back dialogue between flute and 12-string guitar and through Manington’s harmonic bass solo. ‘Airborn 3’ is a loping, blues promenade that builds as it is unlocked by Parker’s flute explorations with Luft sounding at his most John McLaughlin-like.

‘Rock Latin’ swells with 70s plugged-in fusion swagger, cut through with pulsing solos from Parker (on keys) and Luft where it is often difficult to identify where one one ends and the other starts. ‘To Plant A Tree’ is a piece of great beauty with an infectious melody that draws comparison with classic Pat Metheny numbers, with Parker showing great delicately on piano. And like a well-planted tree, this one is set to endure.

‘Airborn 5’ is a groove-laden, funky fusion strut that will also worm its way into your soul, driven by a deep drum and bassline over which Parker and Luft stir hearts. The album rounds out with ‘Oke Quixote’, slipping into a gently racing pace that builds momentum, with Luft bending notes, before breaking into freer territory that draws things to a close.

Within a year that seems to have produced a rich seam of jazz suites, Eddie Parker’s Airborn stands out. Recommended.