Watkiss loops his voice into something almost choral, building to a powerful crescendo. It’s impressive, evocative, and musically rich.

JAZZ Now Records JN04SCD

Neil Charles (Bass, Composition); Mark Sanders (Drums, Percussion); Pat Thomas (Piano); Cleveland Watkiss (Voice, Loops)
Recorded at Cafe Oto, London;  4th October 2024

1.Dark Days / 2. I Knew It / 3. Why Do We Hate / 4. They Do Not See / 5. Dark Days Outro / 6. Sing Or Shout / 7. Children / 8. Army / 9. Treason / 10. A Nation / 11. Find A Way

“Dark Days” by James Baldwin, the basis for this album, is a searing collection of essays (published by Penguin) that explores his deeply personal and political experiences of racial injustice in America. Drawing heavily on his own life, Baldwin confronts the brutal realities faced by Black people in a country shaped by systemic racism and denial. His work is marked by powerful prose, unflinching honesty, and an enduring call for a more just and humane world. Though challenging, Dark Days is an essential read—both a mirror and a warning—inviting us to grapple with the enduring complexities of race in America.

Neil Charles has selected brief snippets from James Baldwin’s text which are delivered by Cleveland Watkiss over a background of themes and improvisation from the quartet.

There was a time when jazz and poetry shared the same breath. Edith Sitwell melded language with music. Jack Kerouac riffed his words to the rhythm of a piano. Billie Holiday transformed popular songs into intimate poetry. The challenge then, as now, is balance—the harmony between the music and the words.

And there are dark days now. Days that feel as bleak as those Baldwin knew.

This morning, I listened to a British doctor working in Gaza. He described young boys, queuing for food and water, being systematically shot—some in the throat, others in the testicles. He told of baby formula being confiscated at the border, causing infants to die from malnutrition. His patients, too weak from hunger, were unable to recover after surgery. These are indeed dark days.

Chris Searle, writing in the album notes, claims that the first hundred pages of Baldwin’s Another Country may be the finest prose ever written. It’s a bold and contentious statement. But should listeners be expected to have a working familiarity with Baldwin’s oeuvre? Baldwin was indeed a master—a writer of rare grace and polemical sharpness. If his legacy is to be honoured, shouldn’t more of his words find their way into this music?

Cleveland Watkiss brings Baldwin’s words to life with undeniable passion—he yells the brief snippets from the text, croons them, repeats them, whispers them, hollers, yodels, scats, bellows, shrieks, growls. Yet despite this emotional range, I often struggled to hear the actual words. I tried different setups—alternative speakers, headphones—even different players. Perhaps the intention is not full clarity, but immersion, something closer to opera than oration. Maybe we’re meant to absorb the mood rather than the message. But these are James Baldwin’s words. They matter.

Musically, “Army” is the album’s most compelling piece. It opens with voice and bowed bass—haunting, spacious—then gradually layers in piano and delicate percussion. Watkiss loops his voice into something almost choral, building to a powerful crescendo. It’s impressive, evocative, and musically rich.

Many questions arise from this performance. Is it a tribute to Baldwin’s writing? A meditation on race relations during his time—or ours? Is it about America? Or about marginalized peoples across the globe? Perhaps it’s all of these.

The Neil Charles Quartet supports the weight of this material with conviction. Neil Charles’ bass resonates with Mingus-like depth and flexibility—a sound that is grounded yet exploratory. Mark Sanders’ drumming has a profound assurance, a deep, earthy resonance. Pat Thomas’ piano playing is lyrical, sensitive, and rich with melodic clarity. I look forward to hearing this ensemble in a more conventional setting, where their musical voices might speak even more directly.

The album from Jazz In Britain on the Jazz Now Label is available on CD in a limited edition of 500 copies in a 6 panel digifile which includes a 12 page booklet with liner notes and photographs or as a download with printable artwork.