The incredibly talented Jamie Leeming offers up his much anticipated sophomore album release, ‘Sequent’, continuing his long-standing relationship with Alfa Mist’s Sekito Records.
Through the release of his debut, ‘Resynthesis’, back in 2022, Leeming established his distinctive take on contemporary jazz cultivated by his affections for spacious, intricately-woven pieces that depict the varied and innovative London sound.
Leeming’s credentials have been further solidified by extensive touring and collaborations, having appeared on projects by Jas Kayser, Rebecca Nash, Roundabout and Alfa Mist. Notwithstanding his ethereal collaboration with pianist Maria Chiara Argirò, ‘Flow’.
‘Sequent’ builds elegantly upon the groundwork as established by its predecessor. Adopting a more varied approach, the guitarist’s vision is further facilitated by some outstanding contributors, some familiar faces to Leeming and Sekito, and some excitingly brand new… Kaya Thomas-Dyke, whose lush vocals and artworks have accompanied several Alfa Mist projects in the past, soars over the appropriately minimalist backdrop for ‘Thinking of Yesterday’, Laura Misch couldn’t sound more at home over the immersive production for ‘Shore Embrace’ and Alfa Mist features on a rousing team-up on ‘Storm 5’ that delivers another fantastic album highlight.
Multi-instrumentalist, producer and Tru Thoughts recording artist Sly5thAve makes for a surprising but wholly welcome inclusion amongst the line-up with the brilliantly laid-back ‘Late One’.
‘Sequent’ – as with ‘Resynthesis’ before – proves a piece of work that is wonderfully conceived and brought to life. Leeming’s progressive and free-flowing approach navigates a scintillating journey across the album’s twelve tracks that paint beautifully intricate soundscapes. More than intricate, as indicated previously in this article, there’s a notably immersive quality to a Jamie Leeming composition that finds you wandering aimlessly amidst the setting he’s created for you – whether that’s his night-time soliloquy that finds you walking home at 2am on a Saturday night or lamenting a love lost within the confines of your own home. There’s a real magic to ‘Sequent’ if you give yourself over to it.
