Reviewed by Chris Tozer

Anyone who can play percussion on bank notes and loose change in the palm of Buddy Rich's hand must be a pretty cool jazzman. But then Roy Castle is a man of so many talents that it is a wonder that an album that combines his trumpet playing and his Christian faith was not recorded years ago. Maybe it took the prodding of his younger son Ben who is already an accomplished player of the saxophone, flute and clarinet no less, but truly their joint effort has been well worth waiting for. It kicks off in big band Sinatra style with "I Am A New Creation", followed by trad jazz versions of "If Ever We Needed The Lord Before" and naturally "Praise Him On The Trumpet", which features Ben's elder brother Daniel on trombone. The tempo slows for "My Soul Longs For You" and three instrumental written by Ben in the style of the American session band Koinonia. But the standout track just has to be "It's Real" - a song he wrote with lyricist Adrian Hilton. It features the delectable voice of Nanette Welmans. Of course Roy handles the bulk of the vocals in his usual easy going manner. I think that you will be hard pressed to find a better collection where jazz meets the best of British worship.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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