This specially commissioned project which is full of gusto, chunky brass and beautifully voiced sectional work was recorded in June 2023 at the SWR [Südwestrundfunk – in Engländer speak, “Southwest Broadcasting”] studio in Stuttgart.
It centres on 67-year-old Louisiana born Beasley’s process of developing improvised piano ideas into orchestrated works for large jazz ensemble.
As part of this Beasley visited the Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart. There, surrounded by artworks in the museum’s collection, he recorded short melodic ideas into his phone, which later became the starting point for several compositions.
– the depiction is the basis of the O-Tone released album cover art.
The album title was inspired by a painting of the proto-surrealist artist Max Ernst’s entitled ‘Saint Cecilia’ (Invisible Piano),’ a work from 1923.
Beasley uses the Steinway Spirio, a system capable of capturing and reproducing detailed piano performances.
The technology was originally created in 2007 by Austrian engineer Wayne Stahnke as the “Live Performance Model LX” and was acquired by Steinway in 2014.
Beasley used the Spirio to document improvisations and develop them into arranged pieces for the SWR Big Band.
Featured soloists on the album include members of the SWR Big Band alongside guest flautist Magnus Lindgren. The rhythm section includes bassist Decebal Badila, drummer Guido Jöris and percussionist Rhani Krija.
Invisible Piano is the second album collaboration between Beasley and the SWR in the wake of Bird Lives (read a review of it below), a project that received three nominations at the Grammy Awards and won Best Arrangement in 2021.
More reading
Bird Lives review (2021)
Hear and Now review (2020)
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