Musketeer Records is best known for working with rock bands like Seether and Fevertree but The Dan Wilson Mark Huggett Project sent the label a CD that was too good to ignore. Max Roach Park is a fascinating World Music/Jazz album that has seen the record label dive into unfamiliar territory and surface smiling.

The Dan Wilson Mark Huggett Project has a very unique and refreshing style. The SAMA judges clearly agree that this album is too good to ignore. “Max Roach Park” sits comfortably in the “Best Traditional Jazz” category alongside Carlo Mombelli and the Prisoners of Strange, Johnny Fourie, Mccoy Mrubata and Wessel van Rensburg.

Delighted with the nomination Mark Huggett had the following to say from London, “I feel honoured to be nominated for such a prestigious award and to be in such esteemed company as the other nominees. I would like to thank everyone that has come to see us play in South Africa or bought our CD, I would also like to thank, for their continuing support, our record company Musketeer Records and in particular Paul Seele. I would like to dedicate our nomination to Richard Haslop of SAFM for his interest and generosity”

The album is a truly global product with bassist Dan Wilson based in Durban and drummer Mark Huggett living in London. The duo worked on the project telephonically sending files back and forth, drawing on a diverse range of musical and social influences. The album features guest artists from around the globe including Yngvil Vattn Guttu, a Norwegian trumpeter based in Anchorage.

The album title came from a park in Brixton, London. The cultural diversity that Huggett saw in the park was as much an inspiration for the band as Jazz Legend Max Roach’s drumming.
Dan Wilson was modestly surprised by the nomination, “It’s great to get nominated and to see that our eclectic influences and global approach have drawn fans.”

The Dan Wilson Mark Huggett Project performed a series of shows in South Africa last year. The group is embarking on a steadily-paced world tour, visiting various countries each year. The group will be touring America in August 2008