Terry Disley: Across the Pond

During the early 1990s, Londoner Terry Disley joined the U.K. smooth-jazz band Acoustic Alchemy for several of its seminal albums, including Reference Point and Back on the Case. Although he returned in 2000 for The Beautiful Game, Disley split the band after moving “across the pond” to San Francisco to focus on a solo career, compose music for movies and to act as Dave Stewart’s (of the Eurythmics) music director.

After releasing his solo debut in 2003, Disley and Acoustic Alchemy have had a reunion of sorts, as Disley performed in the U.S. on AA’s stripped-down trio tours. The reunion must have reingnited a spark from the old days as Disley’s sophomore CD, even more than his first, is a healthy dose of Acoustic Alchemy-style music but with the focus, of course, on the keys. It’s a full-band record with drummer Joel E. Smith, percussionist Marquinho, saxophonist Charles McNeal and guitarists Daniel Lucca Parenti and Lorn Leber. AA fans will dig it, especially tunes like “The Lost Tribe,” which seems lifted from the band’s archives, and “Marley’s Ghost,” which shares the band’s fondness for reggae. And hey, you’ve just got to listen to Disley’s exceptional take on Led Zep’s “Stairway to Heaven.”

Originally Published April 1, 2007