JOHN ESCREET – Sound, Space & Structures
Sunnyside SSC 1386
John Escreet (piano); Evan Parker (tenor, soprano saxophones); John Herbert (bass); Tyshawn Sorey (drums)
Recorded Sear Sound, NYC, September 25th 2013
English born pianist, John Escreet has been resident in New York for the last eight years or so and carving quite a reputation for himself, not just as an improviser but also as a composer of some note. Like many of his generation Escreet is not bound by musical boundaries, real or imaginary, and is happy to move from one genre to another in a his quest to bring to fruition his own musical goals.
To date he seems to be doing just that, and this latest recording serves to strengthen that view still further. Escreet has long harboured a desire to work with saxophonist Evan Parker and hectic work schedules for both musicians had put their meeting on hold. However, when invited to New York curate the programme at John Zorn’s performance The Stone, the saxophonist invited Escreet to and the trio to perform with him.
The resulting performance must have been to the satisfaction of all, as a few days later a recording session was arranged for the musicians to capture their work on disc. The trio comprising Escreet, John Herbert and Tyshawn Sorey has been in existence since 2010 and at home performing in a variety of musical contexts from loose compositional sketches, through composed material and free improvisation. The experience of the trio of working in such demanding situations is immediately apparent, and the meeting with Parker has an air of inevitability in that such a meeting of musical minds was destined to become a reality.
If over the last forty years or so Parker’s music has never compromised its own integrity or path, then it begs the question that is it saxophonist’s style mellowing with time, or is it simply our acceptance and understanding of the vernacular becoming more acceptable/accessible. Either way, Evan’s tenor and soprano saxophones blend and interweave with the trio in a way that belies the fact that their first musical encounter had been barely a week prior to this recording.
The disc, edited by Escreet into nine parts or improvisations, features two astonishing duet, as well as improvisations where all four musicians contribute collectively. Both duets feature the pianist with firstly Evan Parker’s soprano in which the saxophone moves from single note lines to complex multiple lines that sit on top of one another in ‘Part V’. The other duo performance features piano and John Herbert’s bass in ‘Pat VI’ that is no less intensely compelling with both arco and plucked double bass work patiently to produce an improvisation of depth and beauty. It is therefore wholly appropriate for this to act as a prequel to ‘Part VII’ that features the full quartet in the album’s centrepiece, with drummer Sorey quickly whipping up a storm for the rhythm section and Parker’s tenor to inhabit.
This is an album of improvised music at its best, and as such comes highly recommended.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
Sunnyside SSC 1386
John Escreet (piano); Evan Parker (tenor, soprano saxophones); John Herbert (bass); Tyshawn Sorey (drums)
Recorded Sear Sound, NYC, September 25th 2013
English born pianist, John Escreet has been resident in New York for the last eight years or so and carving quite a reputation for himself, not just as an improviser but also as a composer of some note. Like many of his generation Escreet is not bound by musical boundaries, real or imaginary, and is happy to move from one genre to another in a his quest to bring to fruition his own musical goals.
To date he seems to be doing just that, and this latest recording serves to strengthen that view still further. Escreet has long harboured a desire to work with saxophonist Evan Parker and hectic work schedules for both musicians had put their meeting on hold. However, when invited to New York curate the programme at John Zorn’s performance The Stone, the saxophonist invited Escreet to and the trio to perform with him.
The resulting performance must have been to the satisfaction of all, as a few days later a recording session was arranged for the musicians to capture their work on disc. The trio comprising Escreet, John Herbert and Tyshawn Sorey has been in existence since 2010 and at home performing in a variety of musical contexts from loose compositional sketches, through composed material and free improvisation. The experience of the trio of working in such demanding situations is immediately apparent, and the meeting with Parker has an air of inevitability in that such a meeting of musical minds was destined to become a reality.
If over the last forty years or so Parker’s music has never compromised its own integrity or path, then it begs the question that is it saxophonist’s style mellowing with time, or is it simply our acceptance and understanding of the vernacular becoming more acceptable/accessible. Either way, Evan’s tenor and soprano saxophones blend and interweave with the trio in a way that belies the fact that their first musical encounter had been barely a week prior to this recording.
The disc, edited by Escreet into nine parts or improvisations, features two astonishing duet, as well as improvisations where all four musicians contribute collectively. Both duets feature the pianist with firstly Evan Parker’s soprano in which the saxophone moves from single note lines to complex multiple lines that sit on top of one another in ‘Part V’. The other duo performance features piano and John Herbert’s bass in ‘Pat VI’ that is no less intensely compelling with both arco and plucked double bass work patiently to produce an improvisation of depth and beauty. It is therefore wholly appropriate for this to act as a prequel to ‘Part VII’ that features the full quartet in the album’s centrepiece, with drummer Sorey quickly whipping up a storm for the rhythm section and Parker’s tenor to inhabit.
This is an album of improvised music at its best, and as such comes highly recommended.
Reviewed by Nick Lea