Just six years old when he picked up the trumpet Matthew Halsall has his parents to thank for taking him to his first jazz gig. Now in his mid-twenties and with a decade under his belt as a musician, Halsall performs at the Kendal Calling independent music festival in Cumbria on Friday week with his full live band of Nat Birchall, saxophone; Adam Fairhall, piano; Gavin Barras, bass; Gav Hughes; drums and Rachael Gladwin, harp.

As a teenager Halsall toured internationally with 1940s swing drummer Eric Delaney and debuted as a leader himself with his own album Sending My Love two years ago on his own Gondwana Records label. The album hit the mark straight away and DJ Gilles Peterson got behind the record swiftly followed by Colour Yes – one of a number of serious contenders for Mercury prize nominations due tomorrow – was then released late last year.

One of the key figures on the burgeoning Manchester jazz scene which has been re-energised in the last year by, on the one hand, the re-opening of Band On The Wall where Colour Yes was launched, and on the other, the increasing ambitions of the Manchester Jazz Festival, which begins this Friday.

A cool, modally grounded album with instrumentation also including saxophone, rhythm section and harp, Colour Yes is imbued by the spirit of the late Alice Coltrane and in particular her classic 1970s album, Journey In Satchidananda. The act of meditation and Indian philosophy also form important jumping off points for the trumpeter and Halsall owes some small allegiance to Freddie Hubbard in his playing, although the album’s overall sound stylings owe little to retro hard bop.

North west-based writer Chris Ackerley in a feature on the trumpeter in Jazzwise last year commented that Colour Yes is rooted in jazz history. “Hearing Halsall talk it’s clear that he is not afraid to look back." 

– Stephen Graham

For more go to www.kendalcalling.co.uk Further dates next month include Brecon Jazz Festival, Wales (7 and 8 August) www.breconjazz.co.uk and the Canary Wharf Jazz Festival, London (14 August) www.mycanarywharf.com/whats-on/details.php?monthNum=8&year=2010