HAYDEN POWELL – Circadian Rhythm and Blues
(Periskop PSK103)
Hayden Powell – trumpet and firebird; Eyolf Dale – piano; Jo Skaansar – double bass
Powell has a delightfully clear trumpet tone that seems to reflect a whole history of jazz. Playing with a mute he evokes Cootie Williams in Duke Ellington bands, while at other times he brings the warmth of West Coast jazz of the 1950s and the experimentalism of Chicago and New York of the 1960s. It is this experimentalism which adds extra piquancy to the recordings. Powell spits, sputters and blows across his mouthpiece to provide percussive snaps and slurs. At first I thought these were the sort of electronic clicks and whirrs that have become fashionable on contemporary recordings, but on closer listening they are unmistakably human. At times the closeness of the microphone picks up the sharp intake of breaths between runs and this can feel unintentional and distracting, as much as the percussive sounds complement the music.
On the first track, it sounds as if a drummer is brushing a snare or putting rimshots over the opening piano segment, but this is all Powell. This ‘beat-boxing’ brings an interesting dimension to the drummerless trio. It is not so clear as to whether these sounds are played live and at the same time as his blowing or whether they are over-dubbed. The accompanying CD, of Powell playing solo trumpet against these percussive sounds has, at times a feel of live playing and at times is clearly over-dubbed and mixed, with much echo and electronic effects added to some of the pieces. This second CD also features some fascinating playing of the firebird, a kind of slide trumpet, which showcases some beautiful playing of what must be a complicated instrument to master. Indeed, both CDs illustrate the mastery and confidence that Powell brings to playing these trumpets (in both orthodox and unorthodox fashions).
The first CD opens with ‘Reveille’ and closes with ‘Late Night Politics’, which hint at the ‘circadian rhythm’ of the title, echoed by the titles ‘Sleepless’ and ‘Red Sky at Night’ on the second CD (there is also a track called ‘Cobalt’, which, I guess, is one of the blues). It wasn’t so easy to discern a theme or pattern across the other titles or the tunes themselves. However, Powell’s sleeve-notes draw an analogy between the body-clock underlying circadian rhythm and timing in music. He says “We all have a personal sense of timing and taste that interacts with our surroundings, other musicians, the audience’s reaction and our own emotions, hopes and expectations.” This helped bring the recording into much clearer focus. The first CD, featuring Dale on piano and Skaansar on double bass, has a range of styles played by a trio who swing and really gel with each other. This is not too surprising given that they’ve recorded previously. The second CD sees Powell exploring his own abilities in playing different types of trumpet in different styles, often over-dubbing multiple parts to ‘duet’ with himself or else playing melodic and percussive lines simultaneously. On these solo tracks, Powell’s development of themes is akin to minimalism with small variations building intricate pieces to atmospheric effect.
As an exploration of how jazz trumpet has progressed over its history and a pointer to how will develop into the future, this CD takes the listener on a marvellous journey.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
(Periskop PSK103)
Hayden Powell – trumpet and firebird; Eyolf Dale – piano; Jo Skaansar – double bass
Powell has a delightfully clear trumpet tone that seems to reflect a whole history of jazz. Playing with a mute he evokes Cootie Williams in Duke Ellington bands, while at other times he brings the warmth of West Coast jazz of the 1950s and the experimentalism of Chicago and New York of the 1960s. It is this experimentalism which adds extra piquancy to the recordings. Powell spits, sputters and blows across his mouthpiece to provide percussive snaps and slurs. At first I thought these were the sort of electronic clicks and whirrs that have become fashionable on contemporary recordings, but on closer listening they are unmistakably human. At times the closeness of the microphone picks up the sharp intake of breaths between runs and this can feel unintentional and distracting, as much as the percussive sounds complement the music.
On the first track, it sounds as if a drummer is brushing a snare or putting rimshots over the opening piano segment, but this is all Powell. This ‘beat-boxing’ brings an interesting dimension to the drummerless trio. It is not so clear as to whether these sounds are played live and at the same time as his blowing or whether they are over-dubbed. The accompanying CD, of Powell playing solo trumpet against these percussive sounds has, at times a feel of live playing and at times is clearly over-dubbed and mixed, with much echo and electronic effects added to some of the pieces. This second CD also features some fascinating playing of the firebird, a kind of slide trumpet, which showcases some beautiful playing of what must be a complicated instrument to master. Indeed, both CDs illustrate the mastery and confidence that Powell brings to playing these trumpets (in both orthodox and unorthodox fashions).
The first CD opens with ‘Reveille’ and closes with ‘Late Night Politics’, which hint at the ‘circadian rhythm’ of the title, echoed by the titles ‘Sleepless’ and ‘Red Sky at Night’ on the second CD (there is also a track called ‘Cobalt’, which, I guess, is one of the blues). It wasn’t so easy to discern a theme or pattern across the other titles or the tunes themselves. However, Powell’s sleeve-notes draw an analogy between the body-clock underlying circadian rhythm and timing in music. He says “We all have a personal sense of timing and taste that interacts with our surroundings, other musicians, the audience’s reaction and our own emotions, hopes and expectations.” This helped bring the recording into much clearer focus. The first CD, featuring Dale on piano and Skaansar on double bass, has a range of styles played by a trio who swing and really gel with each other. This is not too surprising given that they’ve recorded previously. The second CD sees Powell exploring his own abilities in playing different types of trumpet in different styles, often over-dubbing multiple parts to ‘duet’ with himself or else playing melodic and percussive lines simultaneously. On these solo tracks, Powell’s development of themes is akin to minimalism with small variations building intricate pieces to atmospheric effect.
As an exploration of how jazz trumpet has progressed over its history and a pointer to how will develop into the future, this CD takes the listener on a marvellous journey.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
