English, Darren
Hot Shoe Records, 2016, CD
Instrument: Trumpet
Issue: 22.3
Jazz Ruler Type: Pop+Jazz
Performance: 4
Sound: 3
Score: 
O’s Notes: Trumpeter Darren English is a fresh voice on the Atlanta jazz scene and this is his debut. He’s a South African studying at Georgia State University and impressed Russell Gunn sitting in on a show at Churchill Ground Jazz Club. Imagine Nation is billed as a suite written for Nelson Mandela. English composed four of the ten mostly instrumental selections and arranged all of the music. Carmen Bradford sings “What A Little Moonlight Can Do” and “Skylark”. Greg Tardy adds sax on three selections notably “The Birth”. Fellow trumpeters Gunn and Joe Gransden join Darren with a blistering rendition of “Cherokee” capping a strong start.
Publicist: Mouthpiece Music
