Album Review: The TJ Collective - It's My Right To Be Wrong

Adelaide’s own Terry Jones carries on the tradition of many famous crooners on his latest release, It’s My Right To Be Wrong, under the moniker of The TJ Collective. The Collective is formed by a number of well-known and applied South Australian musicians, all supremely disciplined in the style of music that Jones produces. This is made even more enhanced by the fact that these songs are all written by Jones, yet are almost wholly played by the Collective, aside from Jones himself appearing on saxophone throughout the album.

The album itself is a trip through memory lane, covering styles that range from soul and funk to jazz and rock ‘n’ roll. There is even time for some serious scatting work on Soul Provider, another sign of the smooth songwriting that makes this album a success. Possibly Jones’ greatest asset is his ability to cover such a wide range of genres without losing the sound of the collective altogether. April Berry’s vocal performance Once In A Lifetime is simply outstanding, and is something that needs to be heard to be completely appreciated. Two of the more interesting tracks come later in the album in Paris 1967 and Cleopatra. The latter combines slower, marimba rhythms with minimal instrumentation and backing atmospherics, while the former, probably the album’s greatest moment, is a real hark back to, well, 1967 Paris. The horns on this track are simply sublime, as a French narrative floats along effortlessly across a myriad of light rhythms that really encapsulate a classic jazz sound. To be completely honest, it is a track that would come along once in a lifetime, and outdoes many acts in a similar vein attempting these older styles of music in recent years.

If you want to hear jazz/swing/soul/funk/rock/everything played by professional musicians, be sure to grab a copy of It’s My Right To Be Wrong. It is ultimately the professionalism in the production and musicianship that makes this a fun, entertaining album to listen to. Terry is sure to be spruiking these new tracks at a venue near you in the coming weeks, so be sure to keep your eye out for a gig or two and get along to see these great musicians show their wares in the flesh.

• Check out Terry's website for more information.