Daily jazz blog, Marlbank

Track of the day - Ed Jones, Dominic Lash, Mark Wastell, Meditating with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Confront

An epic of a single track, not far short of 19 minutes long, acting as an interpretation of the opening 'The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost' from John Coltrane's Meditations. Saxophonist Ed Jones is incredibly tender when he first enters the …

Published: 10 Aug 2023. Updated: 10 months.

An epic of a single track, not far short of 19 minutes long, acting as an interpretation of the opening 'The Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost' from John Coltrane's Meditations. Saxophonist Ed Jones is incredibly tender when he first enters the fray patiently tended to by both bassist Dominic Lash and Confront Records' guiding light drummer/percussionist Mark Wastell. You enter a certain faraway space listening to this - there is such openness and potential. The sound could go anywhere. And yet all three exert a tight grip on the taut energy at the core of the piece as cog to a mighty wheel of Coltranian enlightenment that they develop so convincingly.

Tags: Reviews

Benjamin Koppel, Scott Colley, Brian Blade, Perspective, Cowbell ***1/2

Recorded in the Village studio in Copenhagen this is a meeting once again of old friends and continues a longstanding rapport the three, Danish saxist Benjamin Koppel and US rhythm team bassist Scott Colley & drummer Brian Blade have developed …

Published: 9 Aug 2023. Updated: 10 months.

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Recorded in the Village studio in Copenhagen this is a meeting once again of old friends and continues a longstanding rapport the three, Danish saxist Benjamin Koppel and US rhythm team bassist Scott Colley & drummer Brian Blade have developed down the years. Without a harmony instrument to lean on there is plenty of room for Koppel's sheer melodicism to assert itself over the often skeletal bass and drums lines. On a track like 'Don't Rise' you get a sense of the approach of say Joshua Redman a little. And certainly the three players in this context value melodicism just as Redman does and the journey of a theme to wring out as much meaning from it as is possible in the course of an ensuing improvisation. With originals written by all three members you may take a while to familiarise yourself with their writing style - Koppel isn't afraid to take the tempo up on a track like 'After Time' and certainly Blade responds when he does. Colley's arco lines at the beginning of 'Precipice' underpinned by Koppel's sombre response and the reverential rustle of cymbal show the trio aren't afraid to take on more serious atmospheres on an album that is high on the sheer craft of a different kind of trio. It slipped out quietly a couple of weeks ago - catch up on Perspective today.