In ARQ, Alison Rayner has gathered a group of fine musicians who sympathetically support her music: Steve Lodder piano, Deirdre Cartwright guitar, Diane McLoughlin saxophones and Buster Birch drums. The group’s imaginative and assured playing are superbly suited to Rayner’s compositions and reflect a confidence inspired by working intensively together, touring her first album 'August'.
The new album ‘A Magic Life’ will be released in Autumn 2016 and is bursting with melodic and harmonic references. It follows on from the success of their acclaimed début album August, with it’s funky grooves and influences of roots and folk musics.
"I was inspired to call the album 'A Magic Life' because of two recent incidents."
Rayner cites both Charlie Haden and Eberhard Weber as influences – but there is always a strong sense of Rayner’s musical personality evident in the poignant folk melodies, rootsy grooves and improvisational invention.
‘I was inspired to call the album A Magic Life because of two recent incidents. I went to the funeral of a friend who wrote movingly on how magic her life had been; then a chance encounter with a young boy, who asked me "Is music stronger than magic?" I replied that music is a merging of magic and logic. It has set me on a course of thinking about the connection between mortality, memory, mystery, magic – and music.’
ARQ will be touring to promote ‘A Magic Life’ from Autumn 2016.