What a beautiful album (actually an EP that is much too short for the quality presented). The Afton Project is led by Toronto bassist Devin Patten, around whom gather the hushed voice of Laura Swankey, the delicate guitar of Andrew Marzotto, the lunar violin of Aline Homzy, and the silky vibraphone of Michael Davidson. We are presented with a gentle chamber jazz, iridescent with subtle colours supporting melodies full of tenderness and introspection. Patten’s arrangements magnify this beautiful expressive richness and the careful interpretations of his partners put the final touch on a high-quality production. We are told this is the first volume. Let’s hope the second one lasts longer than the approximately 25 minutes of this one.
