POINTLESS BEAUTY - Hearts Full Of Grace
Other Compass Records OCRPB010
Al Swainger (bass, keys FX); Jon Clark (drums); George Cooper (keys); Ant Law (guitars); Gary Alesbrook (trumpet & flugel)
Recorded August 2020-2021 / May 24th - 27th, 2021
When sent this album for review I wasn't expecting to be quite so blown away. Al Swainger's Pointless Beauty is a fusion band, and unashamedly so. However, what I wasn't expecting was for it to eschew everything that has been construed as negative in the jazz-rock genre in a set of lean, tightly controlled structures that allow for improvisation... but hey, you'd better be ready for your solo because there's no time to hang around! By that, I mean that all the solos are concise and always en point.
Oddly enough it is therefore the longer tracks that hold the most interest. With no room for longueurs Swainger has a knack of writing catchy melodies with great rhythmic hooks and there is never a dull moment on the album. The electronics and FX are used sparingly and always at the service of the music, and the trumpet and flugelhorn of Gary Alesbrook add a sense of gravitas with some wonderful writing for the horn man. This is immediately apparent on the opening 'The Way Back', with Alesbrook knowing just how to pace and phrase his lines over a nice solid bassline amidst a shifting sonic soundscape around him.
'Sunship Travelling'' follows in a similar vein. Another long track at eight minutes in duration that never becomes boring or loses sight of where it's going. Swainger's bassline holds things down nicely, and the synthesizer solos and accompaniment are totally in keeping. Listening again to this composition I'm reminded of Joe Zawinul with his improvisations dancing out of the keyboards, and indeed if there are traces of Weather Report and Return To Forever in the mix it is no more than acknowledging master practitioners of the idiom. There is certainly no slavish copying to be found anywhere on this fascinating album. A mention should also be given to guitarist Ant Law on 'Sunship' for his excellent solo.
A couple of shorter compositions follow, that are no less compelling. 'The Shrug' features some beautiful playing from Alesbrook and Law, while 'Pause To Breathe' explores more ambient textures. 'Stir Crazy' with its distorted guitar, heavy bassline and muted trumpet recall some of Miles' work in the 1980's with Marcus Miller; again, no plagiarism detected, just using the idiom to broaden the band's own tonal palette.
Bringing this fine album to a conclusion is another long composition, 'Remember The Sky'. The piece, inspired by the Joy Harjo poem, 'Remember' has a lovely opening piano statement from George Cooper before Alesbrook's flugel sings out the melody in an absorbing narrative. The mood of the music moves from reflective to more joyous with Cooper once again excelling on the acoustic piano, and Law's guitar swirls. A truly uplifting piece of music, and a great way to end the set. Needless to say, highly recommended.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
Other Compass Records OCRPB010
Al Swainger (bass, keys FX); Jon Clark (drums); George Cooper (keys); Ant Law (guitars); Gary Alesbrook (trumpet & flugel)
Recorded August 2020-2021 / May 24th - 27th, 2021
When sent this album for review I wasn't expecting to be quite so blown away. Al Swainger's Pointless Beauty is a fusion band, and unashamedly so. However, what I wasn't expecting was for it to eschew everything that has been construed as negative in the jazz-rock genre in a set of lean, tightly controlled structures that allow for improvisation... but hey, you'd better be ready for your solo because there's no time to hang around! By that, I mean that all the solos are concise and always en point.
Oddly enough it is therefore the longer tracks that hold the most interest. With no room for longueurs Swainger has a knack of writing catchy melodies with great rhythmic hooks and there is never a dull moment on the album. The electronics and FX are used sparingly and always at the service of the music, and the trumpet and flugelhorn of Gary Alesbrook add a sense of gravitas with some wonderful writing for the horn man. This is immediately apparent on the opening 'The Way Back', with Alesbrook knowing just how to pace and phrase his lines over a nice solid bassline amidst a shifting sonic soundscape around him.
'Sunship Travelling'' follows in a similar vein. Another long track at eight minutes in duration that never becomes boring or loses sight of where it's going. Swainger's bassline holds things down nicely, and the synthesizer solos and accompaniment are totally in keeping. Listening again to this composition I'm reminded of Joe Zawinul with his improvisations dancing out of the keyboards, and indeed if there are traces of Weather Report and Return To Forever in the mix it is no more than acknowledging master practitioners of the idiom. There is certainly no slavish copying to be found anywhere on this fascinating album. A mention should also be given to guitarist Ant Law on 'Sunship' for his excellent solo.
A couple of shorter compositions follow, that are no less compelling. 'The Shrug' features some beautiful playing from Alesbrook and Law, while 'Pause To Breathe' explores more ambient textures. 'Stir Crazy' with its distorted guitar, heavy bassline and muted trumpet recall some of Miles' work in the 1980's with Marcus Miller; again, no plagiarism detected, just using the idiom to broaden the band's own tonal palette.
Bringing this fine album to a conclusion is another long composition, 'Remember The Sky'. The piece, inspired by the Joy Harjo poem, 'Remember' has a lovely opening piano statement from George Cooper before Alesbrook's flugel sings out the melody in an absorbing narrative. The mood of the music moves from reflective to more joyous with Cooper once again excelling on the acoustic piano, and Law's guitar swirls. A truly uplifting piece of music, and a great way to end the set. Needless to say, highly recommended.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
