JAMIE REYNOLDS - Grey Mirror
Fresh Sound Records
Jamie Reynolds - Piano, Wurlitzer; Matthew Stevens - Guitar; Orlando LeFleming - Acoustic and Electric Bass; Eric Doob - Drums
The Westerlies:
Andy Clausen - Trombone; Willem de Koch - Trombone; Zubin Hensler - Trumpet; Riley Mulherkar - Trumpet
On Grey Mirror Jamie Reynolds experiments with a variety of emotions which he links to specific instruments and their tones. As the Toronto born, New York city based pianist explains in his introduction to the album:
“I was wondering how to convey the energy and particular reality of certain emotions and thoughts that I have. I noticed that some of them were tied up with the sound of the guitar - that big, dynamic, rhythmic, searing vibe we all know and love. Others were linked to the warm, brilliant sounds of the brass ensembles that I grew up listening to and playing in.”
Reynolds explores these sounds separately on Grey Mirror - adding guitarist and friend Matthew Stevens to his jazz trio and also presenting us with performances of his songs arranged for the brass quartet The Westerlies. Shuffled up throughout Reynolds’ album are “mirror-images” of his songs, retellings of tracks using a different group of players to capture a different feel.
A fine example of the contrast between the two can be found on ‘The Earliest Ending’, versions of which bookend the album. Performing with the jazz trio, Stevens’ guitar reverberates, calling out above emotional chords and urgent drums. There is space and desperation in the music which builds to a distorted wail of layered guitar effects. Reynolds’ delicate playing in the opening and closing moments is echoed on the fifty-second, melody-focused mirror-image by The Westerlies, whose performances tend to be shorter and have a more intimate feel.
On ‘Small Worlds’ Reynolds and Stevens circle a varied riff, building intensity. Reynolds plays a Wurlitzer 200A, an instrument which he describes as sounding like the inside of his head. Mellow and vibe-like to begin with, as the playing gets harder the notes become distorted. The contrast to these electric sounds is a mood-filled piece by The Westerlies, which opens with long trumpet tones, underpinned by restless bass notes from the trombones. The melody to their Small Worlds stretches out a central moment from Reynolds’ and Stevens’ performance, lingering on notes which flew by before.
Throughout the album Reynolds uses subtle textures to create atmosphere. ‘Church’ is a slow build which begins with a pulse note that switches from the piano to Orlando Fleming’s bass, allowing Reynolds to gently improvise around it. Touches on the Wurlitzer add an ethereal quality, as the pulse builds to a chiming chord. In The Westerlies version, the pulse is taken up by two players at once, becoming more disparate as the piece moves swiftly on, until it is played both on and off the beat, like a wavering siren.
Reynolds puts aside sonic textures for a solo piano performance of ‘Lake Cycle’, the most contemplative piece. The Westerlies telling shares a close emotional tone, and after a few listens it became hard not to hear the warm brass tones bleeding into the piano version.
I thoroughly enjoyed the contrasts of Grey Mirror, but it would have been interesting to hear the two groups working together, combining their moods to add to the complexity of sound and emotion.
Reviewed by Matt Bradley
Fresh Sound Records
Jamie Reynolds - Piano, Wurlitzer; Matthew Stevens - Guitar; Orlando LeFleming - Acoustic and Electric Bass; Eric Doob - Drums
The Westerlies:
Andy Clausen - Trombone; Willem de Koch - Trombone; Zubin Hensler - Trumpet; Riley Mulherkar - Trumpet
On Grey Mirror Jamie Reynolds experiments with a variety of emotions which he links to specific instruments and their tones. As the Toronto born, New York city based pianist explains in his introduction to the album:
“I was wondering how to convey the energy and particular reality of certain emotions and thoughts that I have. I noticed that some of them were tied up with the sound of the guitar - that big, dynamic, rhythmic, searing vibe we all know and love. Others were linked to the warm, brilliant sounds of the brass ensembles that I grew up listening to and playing in.”
Reynolds explores these sounds separately on Grey Mirror - adding guitarist and friend Matthew Stevens to his jazz trio and also presenting us with performances of his songs arranged for the brass quartet The Westerlies. Shuffled up throughout Reynolds’ album are “mirror-images” of his songs, retellings of tracks using a different group of players to capture a different feel.
A fine example of the contrast between the two can be found on ‘The Earliest Ending’, versions of which bookend the album. Performing with the jazz trio, Stevens’ guitar reverberates, calling out above emotional chords and urgent drums. There is space and desperation in the music which builds to a distorted wail of layered guitar effects. Reynolds’ delicate playing in the opening and closing moments is echoed on the fifty-second, melody-focused mirror-image by The Westerlies, whose performances tend to be shorter and have a more intimate feel.
On ‘Small Worlds’ Reynolds and Stevens circle a varied riff, building intensity. Reynolds plays a Wurlitzer 200A, an instrument which he describes as sounding like the inside of his head. Mellow and vibe-like to begin with, as the playing gets harder the notes become distorted. The contrast to these electric sounds is a mood-filled piece by The Westerlies, which opens with long trumpet tones, underpinned by restless bass notes from the trombones. The melody to their Small Worlds stretches out a central moment from Reynolds’ and Stevens’ performance, lingering on notes which flew by before.
Throughout the album Reynolds uses subtle textures to create atmosphere. ‘Church’ is a slow build which begins with a pulse note that switches from the piano to Orlando Fleming’s bass, allowing Reynolds to gently improvise around it. Touches on the Wurlitzer add an ethereal quality, as the pulse builds to a chiming chord. In The Westerlies version, the pulse is taken up by two players at once, becoming more disparate as the piece moves swiftly on, until it is played both on and off the beat, like a wavering siren.
Reynolds puts aside sonic textures for a solo piano performance of ‘Lake Cycle’, the most contemplative piece. The Westerlies telling shares a close emotional tone, and after a few listens it became hard not to hear the warm brass tones bleeding into the piano version.
I thoroughly enjoyed the contrasts of Grey Mirror, but it would have been interesting to hear the two groups working together, combining their moods to add to the complexity of sound and emotion.
Reviewed by Matt Bradley
