Record Reviews

TOM ARTHURS ~ ONE YEAR OZELLA 077 (Barcode: 4038952000775) ~ UK ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2018 This is an album by British trumpeter / composer Tom ArthursFind albums by this artist recorded in a trio format with his long time collaborator pianist Richard FairhurstFind albums by this artist and Finnish drummer Markku OunaskariFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all by Arthurs. The music is beautifully intimate, with melodic themes sketched lightly and later improvised upon just by being gently touched by the trio members, like a balloon floating in the air. Obviously minimalist and brilliantly transparent, the music is deeply moving and in complete contrast to its form completely overwhelming and mesmerizing. All three musicians are masters of achieving the maximum effect with a minimal number of notes and sounds. As a result the music they create consists as much of the sounds they produce as of the silence trapped within the music. The calmness and the elegance of this music are completely unique and stand above most of contemporary Jazz / Improvised Music efforts of this kind. Arthurs indicates that the inspiration to his open compositions originates in the process of cinematic work by the Russian director Anderi TarkovskyFind albums by this artist (especially the making of his masterpiece "Mirrors"), which was based on filming a huge amount of scenes and then shuffling the selected material around until the end product was finally reached. Arthurs describes his process of creating the music on this album as "Composing like Tarkovsky", which in his case manages to achieve the same astounding outcome as in the case of Tarkovsky´s movies. It is impossible to categorize this music by the existing genre categories, as it escapes classification, perhaps even pointing to a new musical direction, which is based on European modernism but incorporates all the beauty and emotion from all known genres and is an absolute mind-blowing and soul-expanding experience. "Quiet is the new loud", which was initially coined to describe the Nordic pop music, is hereby expanded to apply to all contemporary music. Perhaps subconsciously, but unmistakably, this album marks a new phase for British Jazz as well, with the Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist / John TaylorFind albums by this artist spirit omnipresent here, but taken a step further no doubt. Overall this is a magnificent piece of music, one of the best to arrive on my desk in 2018, and wholeheartedly recommended to everybody who still looks at music as a source of joy and enlightenment.

Updated: 23/10/2018Posted: 23/10/2018

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TOM ARTHURS / RICHARD FAIRHURST ~ MESMER BABEL 2767 (Barcode: 5028159027674) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2006 Released: 2007 This is the debut album by the British Jazz duo, comprising of trumpeter / composer Tom ArthursFind albums by this artist and pianist / composer Richard FairhurstFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, five of which are original compositions by Arthurs, two by Fairhurst, one is co-composed by the two and finally one is by German saxophonist / composer Lothar OhlmeierFind albums by this artist. This intimate and absolutely beautiful album is one of several recordings involving these two brilliant musicians, which are all exemplary. Both are among my favorite cotemporary British Jazz musicians and excellent composers, who manage to continue the legacy of the previous generation, which established the British Jazz sound in the 1960s and 1970s. Arthurs proudly carries on the sonic tradition of Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist and Fairhurst that of John TaylorFind albums by this artist, and as such they simply can’t go wrong as far as my ears are concerned. The difficult and unconventional piano / trumpet duo works absolutely perfectly here, despite the complexity, both harmonic and rhythmic, of the music, which can be also heard on their second duo album “Postcards From PushkinFind albums with this title” and their trio album “One YearFind albums with this title”, which are also absolutely delightful. They have both recorded extensively with many European Jazz musicians. It took me a while to find a copy of this album, which is a great example of the “Art of the Duo”. I think it is still available, so my warm recommendation is to grab one ASAP, as you simply can’t go wrong with these two young pillars of the British Jazz scene, especially if you haven’t heard anything by them so far. Once you hear it, you will be hooked, I promise!

Updated: 28/04/2023Posted: 28/04/2023

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TOM ARTHURS / RICHARD FAIRHURST ~ POSTCARDS FROM PUSHKIN BABEL 1194 (Barcode: 5028159000011) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 Released: 2011 This is the second album by splendid British Jazz duo comprising of trumpeter / composer Tom ArthursFind albums by this artist and pianist / composer Richard FairhurstFind albums by this artist, which presents an ambitious Jazz & Poetry project of compositions based on poems by the Russian literary genius Alexander PushkinFind albums by this artist. Commissioned and recorded by the BBC, the music was composed by Arthurs, but includes obvious improvised stretches. Of the seven pieces included on the album, one is a trumpet solo and the remaining ones are duo performances based on six fragments of Pushkin´s poems. Since his arrival on the scene Arthurs rapidly achieved a reputation of a brilliant player and composer, backed up by a series of impressive recordings, of which this one is only a tip of an iceberg. His tonality and phrasing often display a fond memory of the work by Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, but having said that, he certainly has his very own voice. Arthurs seems to feel perfectly comfortable in any Jazz idiom, both the restrained melodic context and a completely improvised setting, which of course makes him one of the most versatile trumpet / flugelhorn players out there. These intimate duets are wonderful examples of Jazz minimalism, where less is more every inch of the way. Both musicians obviously share a telepathic communication, which only happens amongst the best out there. The composed melodies and the improvised parts flow completely naturally and merge the two instruments into one voice. The wonderful natural ambience of the St. Giles Cripplegate church (located in the heart of the Barbican, London) adds its beauty to the tones made by the musicians, creating an unforgettable overall result. Of course music like this requires the listener to immerse himself totally within the sound waves; nothing less will do. But the resulting aesthetic reward is sure to follow suit, fulfilling and overwhelming. Minimalistic environment with a stunning depth is all this is about. Perhaps not for everyone, but this music should not be missed by any serious music connoisseur, especially by those particularly attached to British Jazz. This album proves beyond any doubt that the British Jazz scene still has a lot to offer, even if the pioneering generation of its Godfathers is slowly disappearing. Young Lions like Arthurs have a heavy responsibility to keep the splendid tradition alive and judging by his achievements he´s certainly up to it. A beautiful, delicate, sophisticated gem of an album – a must have!

Updated: 10/09/2016Posted: 10/09/2016

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RICHARD FAIRHURST & JOHN TAYLOR ~ DUETS BASHO 49 (Barcode: 832929004926) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This wonderful and criminally little known album by British Jazz pianists Richard FairhurstFind albums by this artist and John TaylorFind albums by this artist presents a series of eleven piano duets performed by the two. The music includes two original compositions by Fairhurst, two pieces co-composed by them both, one composition by Taylor, another one by Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist, a two-part piece by Pete SabertonFind albums by this artist and finally a trio of Bill EvansFind albums by this artist compositions. The music is splendidly recorded and offers a true feast to Jazz piano lovers. Separated by a generation age gap, Fairhurst (born 1975) and Taylor (born 1942) are able to bridge that gap without a hitch, playing in perfect harmony both technically and spiritually. Their treatment of the Evans compositions is absolutely breathtaking and manages to preserve the delicate climate and lyricism of the original compositions and yet transform them to a more European Jazz sensitivity. But the entire selection of tunes is brilliant from start to finish and a true delight to Jazz connoisseurs, who might try and guess who plays what, which for a trained ear is not that difficult. The idea of this project was born when Fairhurst was invited to take part in the Steinway Two Pianos Festival in London in 2010 and asked John to join him, and continued when John asked Richard to take part in his 70th Birthday Celebration concert in 2012, which allowed them to collect enough material suitable for a recording session, which resulted in this album. Sadly less than two years after this album was recorded John departed prematurely and the album was released posthumously. Overall this is a classic example of Jazz piano duet performance and the "Art of the Duo" idiom and a beautiful memento of John´s artistry. For the many followers of Taylor´s music this is an absolute must of course, but Fairhurst is also to be complimented on his brilliant playing, which is definitely worthy of being closely followed! A true gem!

Updated: 03/09/2020Posted: 03/09/2020

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