Recording of the Week, Tenderlonious - You Know I Care

Record Culture. Ronnie Scott’s. House Music. South London. An artist ahead of his time, Ed “Tenderlonious” Cawthorne is the common thread that unites these elements as he spearheads his own record company, 22a, appearing as its most featured and prolific artist in addition to the tight-knit assortment of diverse talent on display. Striking in its contrasting yet cohesive array of sounds and colours that have allowed the business to grow into one of the most appetising independent labels in recent years, he has gone from strength to strength in the construction of a coherent identity and awareness of the brand’s particular remit. Jazz-centric but not prescriptive, Tender and his label have amassed a cult following, as the boss’ own sonic ventures have seen him migrate from his initial beginnings amidst the city’s dancefloor culture to more esoteric influences, encompassing everything from improvised Lahorean ragas to Italian library music.

Reuniting his most recent quartet, which consists of the multi-talented keysman Hamish Balfour, drummer Tim Carnegie and Pete Martin on bass, for the first time since their inspired tribute to Tubby Hayes back in 2020 (another fine example of 22a’s eclectic panache), Tender for his own part adopts the alto sax in a turn marking the instrument’s debut appearance in his recording career. It was with the aforementioned recording that our fabled friend caught wind of a more ‘straight-ahead’ bend, departing from his regular selection of choppy tunes and club-friendly beats in favour of more swung rhythms and the occasional walking bassline. And it is with this intention that he continues on You Know I Care, a concise album comprising several informed tributes to great musicians of yesteryear who have each inspired the Tenderlonious sound. Jackie McLean, Clifford Jordan, Wayne Shorter and Duke Pearson – these are the big four post-bop luminaries represented here on record with admiration and opportune freshness.

It’s no wonder Tender has once again slipped so comfortably into tribute-mode, when he’s the type of player who’s in possession of the rare ability of paying homage without verging into pastiche-territory nor sacrificing his own matchless flavour and touch in the process. ‘Infant Eyes’, the popular Shorter-penned ballad, sees a brief but advantageous return to the flute, and it's clear from the delicate tones of this tender rendition that our man has only gained more of a distinctive feel for his own artistry through his recent periods of reinvention and artistic exploration. By this point, we’ve already ingested the heady exoticism of ‘On The Nile’, a devilishly intoxicating blend of subtle poise and charm amidst seeming calamity.

With each track a classic standard in its own right, it’s the album’s cherry-picked sequencing that remains the unsung hero of the whole piece. ‘Maimoun’ is a more dubious affair, yet builds with each passing chorus into an expansive romp, underpinned by the marriage of Carnegie’s attentive comping and the solid reliability of Martin’s electric bass. There’s an intricacy to this ensemble which evokes the original lineups called into remembrance and is indicative of the unbeatable camaraderie of Tender and co.. ‘Poor Eric’ is another thoughtful moment of subdued calm which recapitulates the notion of the ear being mightier than the sword, as is the case throughout. By the time we reach Clifford Jordan’s spirited ‘John Coltrane’, we’ve familiarised ourselves with the quartet’s mettle and are hungry for whatever the next instalment that they have in store for us is. Titular closer ‘You Know I Care’ is the simmering end-product which Tender arrives at following the preceding half-hour of efficacious cookery: a rosy expression of heartfelt clarity and teamwork.

Having not only reinvented these iconic numbers but also his audience’s expectations of his own skillset and ambitions, it appears that, with Tenderlonious at the helm, 22a can do no wrong.