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Reviewed by Aleisha Ward

Wellington Heads: Southern Night Sky

Reviewed by Aleisha Ward

Wellington Heads: Southern Night Sky

The fifth album by soul/blues/jazz band Wellington Heads is a marvellous collaboration between core members Neil Worboys, Geoff Keith and Bill Wood, horn players Nick van Dijk (brass) and James Tait-Jamieson (reeds), and drummer Andrew Richardson. This album is bluesy and contemplative, ruminating on life, love, loathing and any number of things inbetween. The horn arrangements by van Dijk show great understanding of how Wellington Heads’ instrumentation and voices work together. The horns provide a warm contrast to the string base of the core members and a warmly supportive layer to their voices. The recording by Andrew Downes and mastering by Mike Gibson capture the essence of the band. While ‘Southern Night Sky’ is an overtly blues-based album, there are dashes of Latin grooves and the occasional Hawaiian influenced flick of steel guitar to catch the listener’s ears. With relaxed tempos and gentle guitar lines this is an album for anyone who likes blues and soul.