The four-piece band that trumpeter Laura Jurd rose to prominence in, Dinosaur, are a wonderful explosion of expressive free-flowing jazz-fusion occupying their own unique niche. Not exactly heavy, neither is much of their music an easy listen, it is a complex, often fast paced, mash-up of electronic jazz stylings with a progressive rock edge and echoes of Miles Davis late sixties Avant Garde makeover; Dinosaur are a cavalcade of modern and vintage sound that command attention. However, for Jurd and fellow Dinosaur keyboard player (and husband) Elliot Galvin real life has conjured up some magical fusion of its own thanks to their becoming parents. The profound and practical impacts this new phase brought to their music was stunningly displayed within this years Laura Jurd solo project, ‘The Big Friendly Album,’ a record on which Laura has really been able to propel her horizons down far more unrestrictedly melodic avenues.

Still, the story is not as straight forward as that. Firstly, the body of composition presented on the album was worked up in the early months of 2020, prior to the couple’s baby even being part of the conversation. Secondly, Laura had the name of the project in mind from the outset, this was always designed as an exploration into more traditionally built music with a big jazz band sound. She envisaged something that was joyful, a music that invited you in and when waving goodbye, it ensured you left with a smile on your face. Which leads me to one further misconception one might take from the records title, that this is anything but a children’s record. That said, it is jazz music of a kind that would not send children (or jazz detractors) diving for the nearest exit. This music is all sublime and pulls off the rare trick of appearing simple whilst there is so much occurring deep within those grooves.

‘Sleepless’ is a fitting example (a knowing title that speaks to many new parents no doubt), it is built around an insistent electric bass riff played by Ruth Goller. That, along with some guitar parts that work around the same pattern with rather rock sounding references, provide a spine of a pattern that imbeds into your head even as the hooks break down midway through, making space for some Jurd soloing and elegant piano flourishes, when the riffing returns you barely notice so much is going because everything is so easy on the ear. These juxtapositions feature throughout, the band do indeed offer a big, almost New Orleans-esque, sound in places but they contrast it with jagged intervals where Jurds wide ranging progressive background comes into view. She has hinted in recent interviews that this thread to her work will not be a one-off, the onset of parenthood necessitates a more ad-hoc grip on creative spaces in both her and Galvin’s lives. This can lead to less deliberation over decisions, a greater instinct and inevitably sometimes a more immediate sounding, accessible end product. That is exactly what we have with ‘The Big Friendly Album,’ a collection that wins you over thanks to the joy and delight of its creation heard pouring out of your speakers, it also happens to be rather fine music deserving of a large audience.

Buy a vinyl copy of the album here: https://laurajurd.bandcamp.com/album/the-big-friendly-album