2009 · Album
On the Go
Recorded 2009 · Gondwana Records · Produced by Matthew Halsall
Open Sessions, Flowing Conversations
Six musicians in a room, no script, just listening and responding in real time.
On the Go captures Matthew Halsall and five collaborators in a single session, recording live to tape with minimal overdubs. The immediacy shows: there's no safety net, no editing out hesitation or false starts. What you hear is the band discovering the tunes together, which means the soloing feels genuinely conversational rather than pre-planned.
Nat Birchall on saxophone and Halsall trade phrases with real chemistry, while Adam Fairhall's piano and Gavin Barras's double bass anchor everything in a lyrical, modal jazz space. Gaz Hughes on drums plays with restraint — he's not overplaying, just laying down pocket and color. Rachael Gladwin's harp is a small but crucial voice, especially on the ballads, adding texture that lifts the album above standard trumpet-and-saxophone fare. The tunes themselves are spacious and patient, mostly mid-tempo, with room to breathe. This isn't hard-bop bustle or fusion flash. It's closer to the patient, exploratory side of European jazz — the kind of session where a good melody and genuine listening matter more than chops display.
On the Go sits early in Halsall's career, before he became better known for his cosmic, effects-laden recordings and his work as a producer and label head. It's worth hearing because it shows what drew people to him in the first place: a clean sound, compositional taste, and the ability to create space where other musicians can actually play.
Who's playing
Gavin Barrasdouble bass
Adam Fairhallpiano
Nat Birchallsaxophone
Matthew Halsalltrumpet
Gaz Hughesdrums
Rachael Gladwinharp
Where next?
More by Matthew Halsall
All 10 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
