Finding our feet (Polar Bear) (LP 2316 - 2318)

Polar Bear  Peepers (CD, The Leaf Label, 2010) ***

Polar Bear  In Each And Every One (CD, The Leaf Label, 2014) ****

Polar Bear  Same as You (CD, The Leaf Label, 2015) ****

Genre: Jazz; jazz fusion

Places I remember: Fopp (Covent Garden). These are the kinds of albums I'd only be able to find in places like Fopp - certainly no chance in NZ.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: A New Morning Will Come (Peepers)

Gear costume: Open See (In Each And Every Way); Unrelenting Unconditional (Same As You)

Active compensatory factors: I read an article about Polar Bear in Mojo Magazine which intrigued me, so I bought a CD and then after enjoying it, sought out a few more.

Polar Bear are a British experimental jazz group led by drummer Seb Rochford   with Pete Wareham and Mark Lockheart on tenor saxophone, Tom Herbert on double bass and Leafcutter John on electronics and occasionally guitar or mandolin.

Their fourth album was Peepers. The twin tenor sax sound doesn't dominate - instead all members of the band jell extremely well on songs that are all composed by Rochford. 

Peppers was the first album I heard and liked. It's pretty mellow in paces, frenetic in others and constantly interesting. This isn't wallpaper music to be ignored - it's post millennium jazz rock fusion.

In Each And Every Way seems wholly organic as an album. Tracks merge and form a whole in a really satisfying way. It's a great early evening album, post dinner. My only issue - it's too long as an album (CD era disease).

Same As You is slightly different again. There are vocals, spoken words, a more minimalist sound, more space around the instruments and it's got a lucky face! This one is great for a sunny afternoon. Having been inspired by a desert experience this makes complete sense.

Where do they all belong? Next up is Jean-Luc Ponty.