KIT DOWNES / PETTER ELDH / JAMES MADDREN - Vermillion
ECM 388 0001
Kit Downes (piano); Petter Eldh (double bass); James Maddren (drums)
Recorded May, June 2021
For those that may have found Downes' previous ECM recording as leader, Obsidian (2018) and Dreamlife of Debis (2019) a tough listen and a little inaccessible, Vermillion may be the gateway into the pianist's musical world. It is not so much that he has compromised his vision at all, but has distilled it into a more familiar format. The classic trio of piano, bass and drums is widely recognised, at once a familiar sound but yet flexible enough to accommodate a multitude of different perspectives on the role of the ensemble, the sound produced, and the rhythmic and possibilities.
It is a given that each trio will seek its own identity through group interplay and the compositional framework that has been presented. It is these constant factors with the unlimited possibilities that they open up that can make the music sound tired and dated, or fresh and exciting as is heard on this absorbing set.
What makes this album so compelling is not individual solos but how the three musicians work through the compositions, all of which are very different from each other, in a way that retains the originality of each while forging a group sound that gives a lucidity and unifying thread throughout.
That said, the pianist is not out to make things easy for the listener. The compositions often take complex ideas and have melodic fragments seemingly establish a piece before suddenly disappearing with the music becoming something else altogether. The intricacies found in 'Minus Monks' set out the trio's stall. Unusual shaped melodic contours, and an ensemble sound that often has the drums in very much a quiet role often supplying commentary to proceeding rather than a strong pulse. This leads to an interesting dialogue between drums and piano that leaves bassist Eldh to provide the gentle propulsion that the music requires.
This role for the bass is central to the sound of the trio and brings a real sense of structure to the compositions. A reassurance that all is well and anchored down, Eldh is a tower of strength and his playing is one of many joys to be heard in the set. His gentle yet firm lines on 'Sister, Sister' work with piano and drums in one of Downes' most beautiful melodies, and yet he is a powerhouse on 'Sandilands' from its carefully paced opening statement from the piano, to the more hard edged swing as the piece develops and his own bass solo is a model of invention.
The range and diversity of the music is emphasised in another of Eldh's compositions, 'Waders' that has some delicate playing from drummer, Maddren in support of the dialogue between piano and bass. Downes' also bring a sense of delicacy to the lovely 'Bobbi's Song' and the ever shifting melodies of 'Seceda'. The album closes with the only non original composition in a sensitive reading of 'Castles Made Of Sand' by Jimi Hendrix that seemingly enhances and confirms the chamber like quality in the music.
Altogether a more accessible album from Kit Downes that none the less has the pianist's distinctive stamp all over it, and bringing together another wonderful trio that again shows how much that this format has still to offer.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
ECM 388 0001
Kit Downes (piano); Petter Eldh (double bass); James Maddren (drums)
Recorded May, June 2021
For those that may have found Downes' previous ECM recording as leader, Obsidian (2018) and Dreamlife of Debis (2019) a tough listen and a little inaccessible, Vermillion may be the gateway into the pianist's musical world. It is not so much that he has compromised his vision at all, but has distilled it into a more familiar format. The classic trio of piano, bass and drums is widely recognised, at once a familiar sound but yet flexible enough to accommodate a multitude of different perspectives on the role of the ensemble, the sound produced, and the rhythmic and possibilities.
It is a given that each trio will seek its own identity through group interplay and the compositional framework that has been presented. It is these constant factors with the unlimited possibilities that they open up that can make the music sound tired and dated, or fresh and exciting as is heard on this absorbing set.
What makes this album so compelling is not individual solos but how the three musicians work through the compositions, all of which are very different from each other, in a way that retains the originality of each while forging a group sound that gives a lucidity and unifying thread throughout.
That said, the pianist is not out to make things easy for the listener. The compositions often take complex ideas and have melodic fragments seemingly establish a piece before suddenly disappearing with the music becoming something else altogether. The intricacies found in 'Minus Monks' set out the trio's stall. Unusual shaped melodic contours, and an ensemble sound that often has the drums in very much a quiet role often supplying commentary to proceeding rather than a strong pulse. This leads to an interesting dialogue between drums and piano that leaves bassist Eldh to provide the gentle propulsion that the music requires.
This role for the bass is central to the sound of the trio and brings a real sense of structure to the compositions. A reassurance that all is well and anchored down, Eldh is a tower of strength and his playing is one of many joys to be heard in the set. His gentle yet firm lines on 'Sister, Sister' work with piano and drums in one of Downes' most beautiful melodies, and yet he is a powerhouse on 'Sandilands' from its carefully paced opening statement from the piano, to the more hard edged swing as the piece develops and his own bass solo is a model of invention.
The range and diversity of the music is emphasised in another of Eldh's compositions, 'Waders' that has some delicate playing from drummer, Maddren in support of the dialogue between piano and bass. Downes' also bring a sense of delicacy to the lovely 'Bobbi's Song' and the ever shifting melodies of 'Seceda'. The album closes with the only non original composition in a sensitive reading of 'Castles Made Of Sand' by Jimi Hendrix that seemingly enhances and confirms the chamber like quality in the music.
Altogether a more accessible album from Kit Downes that none the less has the pianist's distinctive stamp all over it, and bringing together another wonderful trio that again shows how much that this format has still to offer.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
