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Published December 2014
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GEOFF EALES - Invoking The Muse
Since leaving the studio session treadmill fifteen years ago, pianist Geoff Eales has pursued his love of jazz with vigour, notching up an impressive discography along the way. With an inquisitive musical mind, and an avid interest in jazz history Eales manages to balance that fine line between retro and the present and continuously produces music that is steeped in the history of jazz yet unmistakably a product of the time in which we live.
It is more that eight years since I last interviewed Geoff, and he has covered much musical ground in the interim, so it was good to get the opportunity to catch up with the pianist to discuss his new album, Invocation, released on the Nimbus label this month.
It is more that eight years since I last interviewed Geoff, and he has covered much musical ground in the interim, so it was good to get the opportunity to catch up with the pianist to discuss his new album, Invocation, released on the Nimbus label this month.
“I hadn’t recorded a solo piano album for seven years and felt that the time was right to fly completely solo again”, explains Eales. “The trio is the perfect medium for group interaction and I have been blessed with having wonderful colleagues to converse with down the years such as bassists Roy Babbington, Chris Laurence and Julie Walkington and drummers Mike Smith, Mark Fletcher, Martin France and Simon Pearson. Of course solo piano is a totally different animal. Though you might miss the camaraderie and joy of collaborating with like-minded spirits, this is compensated by the absolute freedom you are afforded when you choose to dispense with your comfortable support system. You feel a bit like a trapeze artist without a net, though the consequences of failure are not actually life-threatening!
So in deciding to record a solo piano album Eales decided to jettison the safety net of set compositions and instead allowed his intuition to guide him. “Solo piano is dangerous, invigorating and supremely challenging and there’s nothing I like better than challenging myself. You’re all alone. It’s just you, your muse and your instrument. I see the performances as twelve separate stories. You will find stories of love not meant to be, heartache, regret, sorrow, joy, wonderment, ecstasy, wildness, dystopia and so on. The emotional element is very important to me. Sometimes these musical tales emerged on the spur of the moment, for example, ‘Untamed’ and ‘Northern Lights’. ‘Back to the Root’ becomes a blues after a groove-based improvised introduction but there is no pre-conceived theme. For the other pieces I brought the most basic of sketches to the session, the details to be filled in as the musical journey proceeded. The final piece – ‘They Can’t Harm You Now’ – is the most composed of all the tracks but there is a coda that is freely improvised.”
In choosing to record in this manner, it is inevitable perhaps that the shadow of Keith Jarrett should be lurking somewhere in the background, an opinion that Geoff at once acknowledges. “Some critics seem to hear echoes of Jarrett in my music. Maybe this is not surprising since Keith is one of my greatest heroes. I suppose I am a little flattered, but also feel rather humble when people might speak of my work in the same breath as the musical phenomenon that is Keith Jarrett. However, I would like to think that folk don’t consider me to be a watered-down version of the real thing. I have been influenced by many musicians and composers throughout my life including Keith Jarrett. It is my hope that I am able to transcend my influences rather than being a slave to them.”
So in deciding to record a solo piano album Eales decided to jettison the safety net of set compositions and instead allowed his intuition to guide him. “Solo piano is dangerous, invigorating and supremely challenging and there’s nothing I like better than challenging myself. You’re all alone. It’s just you, your muse and your instrument. I see the performances as twelve separate stories. You will find stories of love not meant to be, heartache, regret, sorrow, joy, wonderment, ecstasy, wildness, dystopia and so on. The emotional element is very important to me. Sometimes these musical tales emerged on the spur of the moment, for example, ‘Untamed’ and ‘Northern Lights’. ‘Back to the Root’ becomes a blues after a groove-based improvised introduction but there is no pre-conceived theme. For the other pieces I brought the most basic of sketches to the session, the details to be filled in as the musical journey proceeded. The final piece – ‘They Can’t Harm You Now’ – is the most composed of all the tracks but there is a coda that is freely improvised.”
In choosing to record in this manner, it is inevitable perhaps that the shadow of Keith Jarrett should be lurking somewhere in the background, an opinion that Geoff at once acknowledges. “Some critics seem to hear echoes of Jarrett in my music. Maybe this is not surprising since Keith is one of my greatest heroes. I suppose I am a little flattered, but also feel rather humble when people might speak of my work in the same breath as the musical phenomenon that is Keith Jarrett. However, I would like to think that folk don’t consider me to be a watered-down version of the real thing. I have been influenced by many musicians and composers throughout my life including Keith Jarrett. It is my hope that I am able to transcend my influences rather than being a slave to them.”
This indeed is the case with Invocation, as a cursory listen throws up the differences between the two musicians, rather than highlighting any similarities. “Sometimes Jarrett’s improvisations flow very quickly, moving restlessly from one tonal area to another until a point of repose is reached. A rhythmic motif, riff or vamp often emerges from this point. The vamps can last an awfully long time but variety is achieved through subtle rhythmic and melodic transformation and changes in dynamic, the music inexorably building in momentum. There are many who dislike the element of repetition in Jarrett’s work. Equally, there are many who love his modus operandi. Unquestionably, tremendous excitement can be created through repetition and some of his climaxes are pretty awesome. As for my approach on Invocation, I tend not to linger too long on an idea, a groove or set of harmonic progressions. I usually get a little restless after a couple of minutes. Then I’m off somewhere else. I like to think that the music is evolving organically and has an inner flow about it. I had no time restrictions imposed on me but was conscious of not wanting to go on and on. I wanted to achieve clarity and conciseness on the album.”
In a setting that is considerably different from the trio format for which he is best known, how would you attract an audience for an evening of improvised music? “Attracting decent audiences for one’s music is always difficult. There’s so much competition out there” replies Geoff. “Marvellous young musicians are constantly coming out of the woodwork and…well let’s be honest, I’m no spring chicken anymore and people tend to be more interested in the new kid on the block – but I keep on keeping on! I honestly don’t believe there’s a different audience for Invocation as for my trio concerts. My loyal fans support me whatever I’m doing – the trouble is there’s not nearly enough of them.”
No stranger to recording solo, Eales had previously recorded two solo albums, Synergy a decade ago, where he explored more familiar tunes, and Epicentre some seven years ago where the emphasis was on original material. Obviously both approaches, playing preconceived or written music and free improvisations, appeal to Geoff, so how would he prepare for a concert of improvised music? With a wry smile, the reply is simply put, “I wouldn’t prepare at all. I would close my eyes, empty my mind and just let the music flow. All the preparation for such an event would have been done in the 55 years since I started playing piano.”
In fact, the pianist has also recorded an album of free improvisation on a prior occasion, as he describes “I really enjoyed performing Free Flow with Ben and bassist Ashley John Long. Playing in such a setting gives me immense joy. But don’t expect to hear anything like this on record anytime soon. The problem is one of type-casting. There are a few venues in London that are temples to the avant-garde, most notably The Vortex and Café Oto, but they won’t touch me with a barge-pole. The reason for this is that I’m not really known for my exploits in the improvised area. When your 6 emails and phone calls are greeted with a deafening silence then I think they’re trying to tell me something – like ‘get back in your box mouldy fig!’ Of course you never know when the tide might turn. It might never turn but you never know. One always has to believe that one day’s impossibility can be tomorrow’s possibility.” And at the other end of the musical spectrum, Geoff reminds us about his jazz-rock outfit that he leads periodically, “At the end of October I did a wonderful gig with Isorhythm at Pizza Express Dean Street and in 2012 we toured the UK in support of the album Shifting Sands. I loved it so much that I must try and hustle a few more gigs. This type of full-throated, groove-based music is fantastic for blowing the cobwebs away. The band is pretty stellar: Ben Waghorn (sometimes Canadian Michael Coates when Ben is busy) on sax, Carl Orr (guitar), Fred T Baker (fretless bass) and Asaf Sirkis or Mark Fletcher on drums.”
In a setting that is considerably different from the trio format for which he is best known, how would you attract an audience for an evening of improvised music? “Attracting decent audiences for one’s music is always difficult. There’s so much competition out there” replies Geoff. “Marvellous young musicians are constantly coming out of the woodwork and…well let’s be honest, I’m no spring chicken anymore and people tend to be more interested in the new kid on the block – but I keep on keeping on! I honestly don’t believe there’s a different audience for Invocation as for my trio concerts. My loyal fans support me whatever I’m doing – the trouble is there’s not nearly enough of them.”
No stranger to recording solo, Eales had previously recorded two solo albums, Synergy a decade ago, where he explored more familiar tunes, and Epicentre some seven years ago where the emphasis was on original material. Obviously both approaches, playing preconceived or written music and free improvisations, appeal to Geoff, so how would he prepare for a concert of improvised music? With a wry smile, the reply is simply put, “I wouldn’t prepare at all. I would close my eyes, empty my mind and just let the music flow. All the preparation for such an event would have been done in the 55 years since I started playing piano.”
In fact, the pianist has also recorded an album of free improvisation on a prior occasion, as he describes “I really enjoyed performing Free Flow with Ben and bassist Ashley John Long. Playing in such a setting gives me immense joy. But don’t expect to hear anything like this on record anytime soon. The problem is one of type-casting. There are a few venues in London that are temples to the avant-garde, most notably The Vortex and Café Oto, but they won’t touch me with a barge-pole. The reason for this is that I’m not really known for my exploits in the improvised area. When your 6 emails and phone calls are greeted with a deafening silence then I think they’re trying to tell me something – like ‘get back in your box mouldy fig!’ Of course you never know when the tide might turn. It might never turn but you never know. One always has to believe that one day’s impossibility can be tomorrow’s possibility.” And at the other end of the musical spectrum, Geoff reminds us about his jazz-rock outfit that he leads periodically, “At the end of October I did a wonderful gig with Isorhythm at Pizza Express Dean Street and in 2012 we toured the UK in support of the album Shifting Sands. I loved it so much that I must try and hustle a few more gigs. This type of full-throated, groove-based music is fantastic for blowing the cobwebs away. The band is pretty stellar: Ben Waghorn (sometimes Canadian Michael Coates when Ben is busy) on sax, Carl Orr (guitar), Fred T Baker (fretless bass) and Asaf Sirkis or Mark Fletcher on drums.”
As well as Isorhythm and his trio, Eales also finds time to work in a more classical setting, having recorded with flautist Andy Findon, which again brings us back to the thorny problem of how he may be perceived by both audience and promoters. “The funny thing is this: my jazz friends think of my album The Dancing Flute as most definitely a classical CD. But all my classical friends say it’s most definitely a jazz album. In some ways being able to play in a variety of styles can be a curse as well as a blessing. Jazz promoters won’t book the duo as it’s classical; classical promoters refuse to book us since they don’t want filthy jazz corrupting their festivals. I’m wasting my breath when I tell them ‘ah but it ain’t jazz!’. Come to think of it, ‘what is jazz anyway?’ – if you ask 20 people what jazz is, you’ll get 20 different answers. Personally, I don’t like labels. It is the underlying message of the music that’s important not what style that music is in. I don’t find my audience differs greatly between the genres. My friend Brian Nott (former head honcho of the Jazzizit label) is an excellent example. You’re just as likely to see him at a James Taylor gig as a Kiri Te Kanawa concert or Nelson Rangell roar-up. He’s one of my most loyal supporters and is always there in the audience whenever possible. Those who attend my gigs tend to be people with open minds, hearts and ears – so not too many mouldy figs!”
So for such a confirmed musical eclectic how has your music changed over the years? After some consideration, Geoff says “My music has changed considerably since I gave up studio work in order to follow my muse. My first album Mountains of Fire was very much a swing album, its main inspirations being Oscar Peterson and Monty Alexander. The material was largely ‘The Great American Songbook’ with just a couple of originals thrown in. My second album, Red Letter Days was a little less swing-orientated – more ballads and more originals. And so the journey towards a much more personal style continued unabated throughout the noughties and into the second decade of the Millennium with the result that my last 5 albums have been completely self-penned or improvised – so quite a sea-change. The journey continues but this is not to say that I wouldn’t consider doing an album of more familiar material once again one day. Things don’t have to be either or in life.”
So for such a confirmed musical eclectic how has your music changed over the years? After some consideration, Geoff says “My music has changed considerably since I gave up studio work in order to follow my muse. My first album Mountains of Fire was very much a swing album, its main inspirations being Oscar Peterson and Monty Alexander. The material was largely ‘The Great American Songbook’ with just a couple of originals thrown in. My second album, Red Letter Days was a little less swing-orientated – more ballads and more originals. And so the journey towards a much more personal style continued unabated throughout the noughties and into the second decade of the Millennium with the result that my last 5 albums have been completely self-penned or improvised – so quite a sea-change. The journey continues but this is not to say that I wouldn’t consider doing an album of more familiar material once again one day. Things don’t have to be either or in life.”
And what about future plans, can we expect to hear more from the trio? “I am currently working with Austrian vocalist/improviser Iris Ederer and Andy Findon in a 3-piece ensemble, The Heiros Trio. Here, we blend jazz with classical, world and folk music. I love to blur the edges in my music. Also, I’d like to record another trio album with Chris Laurence and Martin France much in the manner of our European sounding Master of the Game album, morphing into a slightly larger ensemble here and there. Maybe one day I might write stuff for a much larger ensemble – a big band maybe. I just realised how much fun I had all those years ago in the BBC Big Band. Attending Kenny Wheeler’s Memorial Concert recently made me realise what a mighty beast a big band is, especially in the hands of a master like Kenny. Now that would be a challenge!”
For more information, visit Geoff’s website at www.geoffeales.com
To read our review of Invocation click on the album cover.
For more information, visit Geoff’s website at www.geoffeales.com
To read our review of Invocation click on the album cover.
