QUINSIN NACHOFF’S ETHEREAL TRIO
Whirlwind WR4706
Quinsin Nachoff - tenor saxophone; Mark Helias - bass; Dan Weiss -drums
There’s a bit of a sleight of tenor-plus-rhythm trio recordings emerging on both sides of the Atlantic at the moment, with notable efforts of late from Tim Armacost in the US and Tori Freestone and Josephine Davies on this side of the pond. Quinsin Nachoff may have attracted the attention of UK listeners through his work with late great pianist John Taylor as part of the Horizons project, but on the strength of this recording he deserves to be better known over here.
This album presents a set of originals by Nachoff, featuring a blend of through composition and group improvisation and bringing a wealth on contemporary language into play, skirting the area where jazz, fusion and free playing overlap. 'Clairvoyant Jest’ shows the trio’s roots in the swing tradition; ‘Imagination Reconstruction’ flirts with a rock backbeat and proggy metric shifts, while ‘Subliminal Circularity’ starts with a James Brown-style funky drummer groove before developing into a series of quizzical exchanges between sax and bass that lead to a free textural exploration and back into the groove again. ‘Push-Pull Topology’ features the kind of metric modulation that seems to be de rigeur in New York circles at the moment - ‘Portrait in Sepia Tones’ is closer to the world of free improv, ramping up relentlessly into a percussive maelstrom. This recording stands out from a crowded field by virtue of the exceptional skill of the players; bassist Helias in particular has a comprehensive technique with fingers and bow and a particularly rich and clear tone, and the level of empathy between all three participants is never less than impressive.
The virtuosity on display, the depth and richness of Helias’ tone, and the avowed influence of Mark Turner on Nachoff’s light, fluent approach draw a line back through Turner’s favourite Warne Marsh and his seminal trios with Red Mitchell, all the way to Lennie Tristano and his experiments with free-form, though Dan Weiss’s drumming is far more ebullient than Tristano would have countenanced. This is ambitious, difficult but rewarding music from highly accomplished players.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Whirlwind WR4706
Quinsin Nachoff - tenor saxophone; Mark Helias - bass; Dan Weiss -drums
There’s a bit of a sleight of tenor-plus-rhythm trio recordings emerging on both sides of the Atlantic at the moment, with notable efforts of late from Tim Armacost in the US and Tori Freestone and Josephine Davies on this side of the pond. Quinsin Nachoff may have attracted the attention of UK listeners through his work with late great pianist John Taylor as part of the Horizons project, but on the strength of this recording he deserves to be better known over here.
This album presents a set of originals by Nachoff, featuring a blend of through composition and group improvisation and bringing a wealth on contemporary language into play, skirting the area where jazz, fusion and free playing overlap. 'Clairvoyant Jest’ shows the trio’s roots in the swing tradition; ‘Imagination Reconstruction’ flirts with a rock backbeat and proggy metric shifts, while ‘Subliminal Circularity’ starts with a James Brown-style funky drummer groove before developing into a series of quizzical exchanges between sax and bass that lead to a free textural exploration and back into the groove again. ‘Push-Pull Topology’ features the kind of metric modulation that seems to be de rigeur in New York circles at the moment - ‘Portrait in Sepia Tones’ is closer to the world of free improv, ramping up relentlessly into a percussive maelstrom. This recording stands out from a crowded field by virtue of the exceptional skill of the players; bassist Helias in particular has a comprehensive technique with fingers and bow and a particularly rich and clear tone, and the level of empathy between all three participants is never less than impressive.
The virtuosity on display, the depth and richness of Helias’ tone, and the avowed influence of Mark Turner on Nachoff’s light, fluent approach draw a line back through Turner’s favourite Warne Marsh and his seminal trios with Red Mitchell, all the way to Lennie Tristano and his experiments with free-form, though Dan Weiss’s drumming is far more ebullient than Tristano would have countenanced. This is ambitious, difficult but rewarding music from highly accomplished players.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
