Jamie Leeming’s curiosity has always been a key part of his ever-evolving relationship with music. Whether that be as a teenager and being captivated by the cover of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew in a local HMV, or his fascination with how we experience memories, the latter of which plays a central role in his debut solo album, Resynthesis. His curiosity for music compelled him to play and eventually led to Leeming becoming one of the most sought after young jazz guitarists in London, with a unique style that finds him regularly amongst the likes of Alfa Mist, Tom Misch and Jas Kayser, the latter of whom appears on drums across much of Resynthesis.
In addition to his intensive session work, Leeming has also managed to carve out time for his own music. Heartsong, his debut EP, was named one of the “Best Jazz Releases of 2015” by Jazz London Radio. It’s follow up, Flow, a collaborative album with pianist Maria Chiara Argirò was released to critical acclaim including The Guardian’s “Jazz Album of the Month” and being nominated for “Album of the Year” at the Jazz Revelations Awards. On Resynthesis the guitarist really stretches out creatively, exploring new territory as an artist in his own right. Unlike previous solo projects, Leeming set himself a fixed period of time to write an album of songs inspired by specific personal memories, and in turn asking; "How do memories relate to our sense of identity and who we are as people? Why do we single out particular memories?”
Memory is an omnipresent theme on Resynthesis. The title itself refers to the reconstructive nature of memory, and how the process of recall can be affected by personal knowledge and views. Although the album largely features the classic jazz guitar trio line up (guitar, bass and drums), Leeming explores a vast array of ethereal, spacious and contemporary sounds. The songs featured on the album are led as much by tone and feeling as they are by traditional compositional structure or instrumental prowess yet are expertly balanced with many moments that allow his lyrical style and razor-sharp chops as a guitarist to shine through.
This is all achieved with the help of a handful of close friends, regular collaborators and some of the tightest young players around, many of whom met at an improvised music night hosted by Hugo Piper (who also plays on Resynthesis) called Champion Sounds. It was at one of these nights that the basis for “Champion” was formed, plucked from a twenty second snippet recorded on a phone of one of the legendary jams, which has in turn been reimagined on Resynthesis by some of the musicians that were present on the night itself. In addition to the trio instrumentation, Quinn Oulton and Nathaniel Facey lend their skills on saxophone and Laura Groves’ mesmerising vocals appear on “Long Term Memory”, reflecting on the concept of home and, in her own words, “the deep ties that can exist with certain places and the memories attached to them”. The album is tied together by artwork from painter and musician Kaya Thomas-Dyke, which includes reference to a number of the memories the album is inspired by.