GoGo Penguin - the Jazz Trio You Need

Sometimes you don't even know you were missing something in your life until you find it, ... or perhaps it finds you. That's how I felt the first time I heard the jazz trio from Manchester known as GoGo Penguin. The song was GGP's "Hopopono":

I had the pleasure of catching the innovative and highly entertaining trio on their North American tour when they stopped by Boulder Theater on November 5. I was surprised to hear it was the third time the group has played there, and the 90-minute set did not disappoint.  Touring in support of the new album Necessary Fictions, the guys played pretty much non-stop, offering many new selections from the release to a nearly packed house.

GoGo Penguin have already given us one album, Everything Is Going To Be OK (XXIM, 2023), following the departure of their original drummer Rob Turner and the arrival of Jon Scott. With its tendency to introspection, ‘Everything’ marked a successful new start for the trio of Scott, pianist Chris Illingworth and bassist Nick Blacka.

After touring the album worldwide, the three of them considered their musical direction anew. Illingworth and Blacka re-equipped their studio in Manchester and started jamming. Scott joined them after a few weeks and throughout 2024 the three took their time to work on new pieces. Necessary Fictions is the result, which sees them invent their version of GoGo Penguin.

The sound is recognisable, of course: strong piano lines, powerful bass and novel drum parts. However, their new album dives headfirst into adventure. Illingworth has been exploring synthesizers and uses them brilliantly, while Blacka and Scott are in top form.

From the opening track Umbra, it’s clear that the sheer joy of playing is renewed, and with that the emotion and all the fantastic builds and crescendos that make their tracks hard to resist. Fallowfield Loops follows on seamlessly. Vintage GoGo Penguin, rock solid.