British cellist Naomi Gee Wright has worked and recorded with Icelandic singer-songwriter-composer Björk, American jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard and Iraqi-British Oud player Attab Haddad, and performed as a duo with Jaqueline du Pré’s British pianist, Michael Dussek. Wright Band is a trio with jazz vocalist Brigitte Beraha and tabla player Ben Hazleton (who also plays double bass in the Tony Kofi Quartet). Meteor Tail is the debut album of the trio and is the first album entirely featuring Wright’s compositions and her as a bandleader.

Wright has an inclusive musical vision. «Writing and playing this music is my way of holding close my impressions and sounds of travels to India, Japan and Texas, while also grounding and pulling together my love for improvisation and many other musical worlds and influences, including J.S. Bach, Ry Cooder, and the painter, Frida Kahlo», she says.

The opening solo piece «Ry», and later «El Paso», follow the American master guitarist-composer and feature Wright sketching wide-open, cinematic landscapes, often playing with the cello strings like it was the exotic oud. «Frida» attempts to capture the enigmatic, turbulent personality of the Mexican painter. The last piece, «Joni», is a heartfelt homage to the great singer-songwriter.

Wright’s commanding cello playing, Beraha’s wordless vocals, and Hazelton’s non-traditional tabla playing highlight the gentle and emphatic, conversational-rhythmic dynamics of Wright’s trio. The trio alternates between the spontaneous, playful, contemplative, and introspective and seamlessly blends elements of classical, folk, and world music into an untimely, deeply emotional statement.

Eyal Hareuveni

Naomi Gee Wright (cello, voice), Brigitte Beraha (vocals), Ben Hazleton (tabla)