SAM COOMBES TRIO - Pace Of Change
(Pol-e-Math Recordings SCPR01)
Sam Coombes - alto and soprano saxes; Yoni Zelnick - bass; Julien Charlet -Drums
Sam Coombes is as much a figure on the continental scene as in his native UK, and this album unites him with two fine French rhythm players for a set of originals exploring a range of non-standard time signatures. ‘Perpetual E-motion” sets out the stall - over a shifting funk ostinato Coombes blows some highly spirited choruses showcasing his rhythmic facility, sweet centered tone and fleet-fingered melodicism.
Zelnick and Charlet negotiate the tricky time signature changes with ease and considerable swagger. Despite the austere trio format and rather artificial insistence on constantly changing meter, the leader’s melodic sense ensures that the results are consistently listenable. Over the course of the album, however, the emotional intent of the music becomes increasingly hard to determine, making this seem like an intellectual experiment rather than a heartfelt outpouring of sentiment. For fans of musical ingenuity and assured, tasteful playing there’s much here to enjoy, and the sympathetic recording captures the attractively minimalist sound of the trio very well. It’s a shame the dowdy packaging lets down the visual appeal.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
(Pol-e-Math Recordings SCPR01)
Sam Coombes - alto and soprano saxes; Yoni Zelnick - bass; Julien Charlet -Drums
Sam Coombes is as much a figure on the continental scene as in his native UK, and this album unites him with two fine French rhythm players for a set of originals exploring a range of non-standard time signatures. ‘Perpetual E-motion” sets out the stall - over a shifting funk ostinato Coombes blows some highly spirited choruses showcasing his rhythmic facility, sweet centered tone and fleet-fingered melodicism.
Zelnick and Charlet negotiate the tricky time signature changes with ease and considerable swagger. Despite the austere trio format and rather artificial insistence on constantly changing meter, the leader’s melodic sense ensures that the results are consistently listenable. Over the course of the album, however, the emotional intent of the music becomes increasingly hard to determine, making this seem like an intellectual experiment rather than a heartfelt outpouring of sentiment. For fans of musical ingenuity and assured, tasteful playing there’s much here to enjoy, and the sympathetic recording captures the attractively minimalist sound of the trio very well. It’s a shame the dowdy packaging lets down the visual appeal.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
