H5N1 daring, highly interactive trio outing from 1 of the premier electrical bassists of contemporary jazz, a high H2O grade inwards his recording career
The exclusively argue this gets 5 stars is because in that place are non to a greater extent than to give.
This is a double CD, trio alongside Egan on fretless bass, John Abercrombie on guitar in addition to Danny Gottlieb on drums.
The music is contemporary improvisational. No standards here. It is really much inwards the minute in addition to it is a get-go shape instance of jazz musicianship at its best.
The tunes hit from engaging, mid-tempo jazz grooves (do NOT read that as "smooth jazz") to highly interactive gratis shape improv. Most of the compositions are Mark's.
The musicians are constantly interacting, trading ideas. (I've had the CD for months in addition to every fourth dimension I play it, it sounds new) Egan's fretless Pedulla sings. It is the hallmark of the recording but does non dominate it. In fact, blindfold you lot mightiness error this for a John Abercrombie CD. John is clearly enjoying himself hither in addition to this could hold upwards some of his best trio run ever. The laissez passer on in addition to receive got is palpable. Gottlieb is subtle in addition to creative. Not constantly pushing as he mightiness inwards a quartet, but weaving inwards in addition to out, supporting, driving, creating.
And to travel past times it all off, the production in addition to recording character couldn't hold upwards better.
I only can't say plenty most how expert this recording in addition to this music is. But because it is released on a pocket-size label, As We Speak volition likely non garner whatever large awards. And that is a truthful shame because this is swell music in addition to a recording.
This is total of some subtly exciting music on these ii discs, recorded over ii days, in addition to produced past times Mark Egan. There's a lot of tight ensemble run here. Egan's v string bass, in addition to Abercrombie's guitar mesh into a seamless blend. Egan's (at times) Pb bass blends effortlessly alongside Danny Gottlieb's drumming, which is really tight in addition to on the money. His sensitive touching in addition to constantly changing drum patterns are really one-third of this trio's sound. He plays busily but never cluttered or overpoweringly.
Listen to "Stiletto" on Disc Two for a perfect instance of the group's playing chops. Both Egan in addition to Gottlieb, along alongside Abercrombie, receive got created some intense, tightly woven music inwards the truest feel of the guitar/bass/drums format. There's no pyrotechnics here. Abercrombie keeps everything at a subtle boil, in addition to when he steps out for a solo, he's nonetheless a business office of the trio's overall sound. Egan's bass run is e'er inventive in addition to organic, in addition to Gottlieb's drumming keeps the diverse parts from flight apart.
The get-go track, "Spirals", is a expert introduction to this prepare but, if anything, the music seems to instruct fifty-fifty amend the farther you lot listen. Fans of early on Pat Metheny Group volition occasionally discover the audio from the Metheny/Egan/Gottlieb menses of that group. All the compositions were written past times Egan, except 1 ("Alone Together"), alongside 4 other tunes written past times the trio. The discs snap in, within a 4 panel cardboard holder. There's rail information, pocket-size photos of the group, in addition to a brusk examine from both Egan in addition to Gottlieb.
This is 1 of those releases that rewards the listener the to a greater extent than you lot hear this music. The interplay betwixt the players is really intuitive, in addition to almost seems to hold upwards a living, breathing thing. If you're interested inwards some complex yet unfussy jazz, from iii veterans of the genre, cheque this out.
While the innovations of the belatedly Jaco Pastorius conk along to hold upwards felt to this day, he's non the exclusively electrical bassist to educate a recognizable fretless sound. Born the same twelvemonth as Pastorius, Mark Egan has built his career only about a denser tone in addition to to a greater extent than eminently lyrical disposition. While Pastorius was capable of equal melodism but oft resorted to greater bombast, Egan has remained distinctive in addition to been a to a greater extent than consistent squad player. As We Speak is a rigid example—the bassist's most open-ended blowing session as a leader, in addition to a abrupt contrast to the to a greater extent than produced Freedom Town (Wavetone, 2001).
Egan teams upwards alongside drummer Danny Gottlieb in addition to guitarist John Abercrombie for this intimate trio date. Gottlieb in addition to Egan instruct dorsum over 30 years, best-known as charter members of guitar icon Pat Metheny's get-go grouping in addition to their ongoing collaboration, Elements. Abercrombie may hold upwards the novel expression upwards here, but his powerfulness to gibe whatever context—chameleon-like but e'er distinctly himself—makes him the perfect choice.
While Abercrombie continues to tape as a leader for ECM, it's been many years since either Egan or Gottlieb receive got recorded for the German linguistic communication label. Still, this double-disc prepare of largely Egan compositions, recorded over only ii days, has a sure enough in-the-moment vibe that wouldn't hold upwards out of house on that label. Songs similar the ethereal "Spirals, alongside Gottlieb's fragile cymbal run in addition to Abercrombie's sixteen-note motif, constantly reharmonized past times Egan's shifting harmonic center, look custom-fit for ECM, opening upwards into a gratis middle department that recalls the chemical scientific discipline of Abercrombie's run alongside the Gateway trio.
It's no surprise that Egan was listening to Gateway when he conceived this project. On the championship melody he manages to double its lengthy topic alongside Abercrombie, piece dropping downwardly deep throughout to laissez passer on the vocal its harmonic foundation. This form of shifting roleplay makes the disc thence compelling. But what's maybe most remarkable is how deep the shared chemical scientific discipline is for a get-go meeting. Egan in addition to Gottlieb would hold upwards expected to receive got an almost telepathic connection, but Abercrombie sounds as if he's been playing alongside them for years.
While the overall ambience is atmospheric in addition to light, in addition to many of the tunes opened upwards up into freer space, Egan's non averse to writing changes. The bluesy yet lyrical "Mississippi Nights features Abercrombie in addition to Egan trading off the theme, piece Gottlieb's brushwork keeps a subtle groove throughout.
Four gratis improvisations on disc ii create practise to generate some added estrus to this mostly understated session. Egan's "Stiletto likewise motors along, alongside Gottlieb creating a lightly funky foundation, piece the rubato "Plane to the Trane is driven past times Egan's singing tone.
Egan has been a busy sideman alongside everyone from Gil Evans to Sting, but this endeavour is distinctive in addition to special. One of those unexpected gems that crop upwards exclusively occasionally, As We Speak suggests a personal administration that he should pursue far to a greater extent than often.
Atmospheric in addition to serpentine, the two-disc As We Speak finds electrical fretless bassist Mark Egan leading his trio through a serial of enigmatic in addition to propulsive master songs. An acolyte of the belatedly swell bassist Jaco Pastorious, Egan has a lithe touching his instrument, in addition to tracks such as the leadoff "Spirals" evince a hypnotic, fusion-esque aesthetic. Joining Egan hither are the as superb jazz giants guitarist John Abercrombie in addition to drummer Danny Gottlieb. These are iii technical dynamos as good as artists sensitive to creative grouping interplay. Cuts such as "Dream Sequence" showcase this as Abercrombie in addition to Egan both lay downwardly harmonic lines against each other allowing Gottlieb to fill upwards inwards the background alongside organic cymbal flourishes in addition to flickering drum patterns. Cinematic in addition to expansive, As We Speak has a existent spark of intimacy in addition to is a really engaging work.
Disc 1
1 Spirals
2 As We Speak
3 Vanishing Point
4 Mississippi Nights
5 Alone Together
6 Your Sweet Way
7 Three-Way Mirror
8 Tone Poem for My Father
Disc 2
1 Shade in addition to Shadows
2 Next Left
3 Dream Sequence
4 Depraw
5 Stiletto
6 Plane to the Trane
7 Time Out
8 Summer Sand
Personnel:
Mark Egan - Bass
John Abercrombie (guitar);
Danny Gottlieb (drums).
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