CASEY GOLDEN TRIO - Miniature (EP)
SCRAMP0004
Casey Golden: piano; Bill Williams: bass; ed Rodrigues: drums and percussion; Daniel Walsh: guitar.
Recorded 29th November 2015, Sony Studios, Sydney.
This CD follows last year’s release, Outliers, and continues the exploration of rhythmically-charged, but simple melodies of this Australian piano trio. Like several of their contemporary piano-led trios, the music works with immediate and catchy melodies, underpinned by a commitment to a strong and shifting rhythmic pulse. On this CD, the trio are joined by guitarist Daniel Walsh.
The EP contains a single piece with three parts and an interlude. As each part runs for between 6 and 9 minutes, the title of the EP clearly does not refer to the track length. Rather, the ‘miniatures’ could refer to the internal logic of the parts (and the piece as a whole), in which simple, short themes (running for a couple of bars) are repeated and gently developed. There is an intelligence in the composition in which the themes reappear in different guises and subtly shift between the parts. Each of the themes is played by piano, echoed by the guitar and commented upon by the rhythm section. Such is the interplay between musicians that the flow of the music distracts the listener’s attention away from an underlying complexity of playing that is hidden by the simplicity of the themes. At times the musicians shift from composed parts to improvisation and back again, but the joins and shifts are so cleverly hidden that it is tricky to distinguish between theme and improvisation. This is testimony to the ease with which the group bounce off each other and their comfort in playing together. The inclusion of the fourth voice here, in the shape of Walsh’s guitar, provides some interesting texture to the parts but never quite feels anything other than a guest at the party.
The ‘Interlude’, running for just over a minute, is interesting in that Golden’s piano is recorded through effects that make it sound a little like a harpsichord. This gives a sense of the musical tradition that the compositions are nodding to. As well as being clearly rooted in contemporary jazz, the compositions have the feel of fugues which take simple themes and twist them to explore all of their facets. What is particular interesting across the parts of the extended piece is the ways in which the explorations convey a richness and subtlety in such simple themes.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
SCRAMP0004
Casey Golden: piano; Bill Williams: bass; ed Rodrigues: drums and percussion; Daniel Walsh: guitar.
Recorded 29th November 2015, Sony Studios, Sydney.
This CD follows last year’s release, Outliers, and continues the exploration of rhythmically-charged, but simple melodies of this Australian piano trio. Like several of their contemporary piano-led trios, the music works with immediate and catchy melodies, underpinned by a commitment to a strong and shifting rhythmic pulse. On this CD, the trio are joined by guitarist Daniel Walsh.
The EP contains a single piece with three parts and an interlude. As each part runs for between 6 and 9 minutes, the title of the EP clearly does not refer to the track length. Rather, the ‘miniatures’ could refer to the internal logic of the parts (and the piece as a whole), in which simple, short themes (running for a couple of bars) are repeated and gently developed. There is an intelligence in the composition in which the themes reappear in different guises and subtly shift between the parts. Each of the themes is played by piano, echoed by the guitar and commented upon by the rhythm section. Such is the interplay between musicians that the flow of the music distracts the listener’s attention away from an underlying complexity of playing that is hidden by the simplicity of the themes. At times the musicians shift from composed parts to improvisation and back again, but the joins and shifts are so cleverly hidden that it is tricky to distinguish between theme and improvisation. This is testimony to the ease with which the group bounce off each other and their comfort in playing together. The inclusion of the fourth voice here, in the shape of Walsh’s guitar, provides some interesting texture to the parts but never quite feels anything other than a guest at the party.
The ‘Interlude’, running for just over a minute, is interesting in that Golden’s piano is recorded through effects that make it sound a little like a harpsichord. This gives a sense of the musical tradition that the compositions are nodding to. As well as being clearly rooted in contemporary jazz, the compositions have the feel of fugues which take simple themes and twist them to explore all of their facets. What is particular interesting across the parts of the extended piece is the ways in which the explorations convey a richness and subtlety in such simple themes.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
