As Liam Shortall summons his gang of Glasgow’s top jazzers for summer festival season, we hear from the corto.alto bandleader, producer and multi-instrumentalist about creative hunger and embracing the live experience

The Royal Conservatoire Of Scotland has long been a key incubator for contemporary musicians. But a particularly bright spotlight is shining over a number of RCS jazz alumni who have built a vibrant and highly collaborative community within Glasgow’s music scene. Liam Shortall, trombonist, guitarist, producer and bandleader of corto.alto, is one of these cross-pollinating figures.

Since graduating in 2017, he’s co-founded funk ensemble Tom McGuire & The Brassholes, played in the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and experimental trio AKU!, alongside corporate gigs and producing for other artists. On stage you’ll see him joined by fellow RCS graduate and pianist of the moment, Fergus McCreadie, and STRATA drummer Graham Costello, among a rotating group of equally impeccable musicians.

‘It wasn’t really supposed to be a band,’ Shortall admits. ‘Corto.alto started as a Facebook page I made to put out some videos. We did this thing called Live From 435. The concept was to release a new single every three weeks. The first few came out and then I ended up doing a third, a fourth and a fifth until I had done a year of releasing a new single every third Friday.’ The singles featured artists such as kitti and Soweto Kinch and were each accompanied by a self-produced video. ‘When I was doing the videos, I was like, “wouldn’t it be cool if we had ten screens and we timed everyone playing?” Then when it came to figuring it out, it was such a pain. You had to press play on five different keyboards then get someone behind the camera to also hit play at the same time. And then you have to play the thing right because you’ve only got one take. But that’s the fun in a lot of creativity; knowing it’s possible to figure out.’

What started as a fluid space to produce and release music has since solidified as a more intentional solo project. Shortall’s love for producing in the studio, calling upon friends to send in parts for him to chop and layer, gives corto.alto a weightier sound, akin to that of Snarky Puppy or Hiatus Kaiyote.

‘When I listen back to the series now, genre-wise it’s really all over the place. The EP Not For Now is closer to what I feel like is my “sound” right now. It very much defines what my music is to me: very produced, with hip hop and drum & bass grooves, and just the right proportion of jazz influence.’

Despite corto.alto’s strong studio origins, Shortall is embracing live shows with a number of festival appearances this year, from Edinburgh’s Hidden Door to Glastonbury. ‘When I make music, I don’t think about playing it live. Even if I’ve made the most unplayable thing, I’m still going to make it a song. I think there’s nothing wrong with playing something live completely different to how it is on the album.’

In favour of letting his musicians shine, he adds, ‘we never do setlists or rehearsals. I have Fergus McCreadie playing in my band! I’m not going to write a certain piano part for him because that just restrains him. I like to empower them to do whatever they want. Sometimes that falls on its arse,’ he laughs, ‘but that’s the risk you take. I’d rather that than have people feeling scared to express themselves.’

Corto.alto play The Complex, Edinburgh, Friday 2 June, as part of Hidden Door.