Alister Spence / Joe Williamson / Christopher Cantillo - Curve (December 2021)

‘Brilliant musicianship, masterful playing and imaginative improvisational skills.’ Eyal Hareuveni, Salt Peanuts

‘Distinctive cohesiveness’ John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald

‘The hope is that this trio didn’t just “Begin” but will continue to make CDs like this for a long time.’ Ken Waxman, The Wholenote

Curve, is the second release by Australian pianist Spence, and Canadian born ex-pat Joe Williamson, and Christopher Cantillo from Sweden.

The trio first met in 2009 when Spence was invited to play at the Vilnius Jazz Festival. Since then, they have performed in 2011, 2013, and 2015, in Sweden, Norway, and the UK, as a trio, and with sax players Raymond MacDonald (Scotland), and Daniel Rourke (Australia).

1. Örnsberg Songbook 1 00:53

2. Deflect 04:59

3. Opening 08:42

4. Örnsberg Songbook 2 01:53

5. Slow Spin 07:55

6. Point of Rest 06:54

7. Örnsberg Songbook 3 00:43

8. Modulus 08:21

9. Generation 07:26

10. Örnsberg Songbook 4 01:01

11. Distribution 07:50

12. Örnsberg Songbook 5 01:31

Alister Spence – piano, prepared piano

Joe Williamson – double bass

Christopher Cantillo – drums, percussion

Recorded at Ton & Tråd, Örnsberg, Sweden on 24th February 2011

Mixed by Tim Whitten, November 2016

Mastered by Doug Henderson, September 2021

Producer: Alister Spence

Design: Cheryl Orsini

Cover and disc photographs: Alister Spence

Recording ©: 2021 Alister Spence

Artwork ©: 2021 Alister Spence

©All rights reserved

High quality audio files available for download: 24bit 48kHz

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Duck Baker - Confabulations (June 25, 2021 ESP - Disk')

In his five-decade career, finger-style acoustic guitarist Duck Baker has played in lots of styles, from folk (real folk, such as Scottish and Irish fiddle tunes) to blues to jazz, in the latter genre particularly focusing on bebop greats, with whole albums devoted to the music of Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols. But he has flashed an avant-garde side as well, and of course ESP-Disk’ was interested in exposing more of the latter work. This album of duos and trios with an all-star roster of players, mostly British, collects recordings ranging from 1994 through 2017.

1. Imp Romp 2

2. Shenandoah

3. Indie Pen Dance

4. East River Delta Blues

5. Ode to Jo

6. Duo for 225 Strings

7. The Missing Chandler

8. Tourbillion Air

9. Pope Slark

10. Signing Off

Duck Baker, guitar on all tracks

Derek Bailey, guitar, #3 (7/4/2002)

Steve Beresford, piano, #6 (9/18/2009)

John Butcher, tenor saxophone, #7 (9/19/2009)

Mark Dresser, bass, #2, #9 (1994)

Michael Moore, alto saxophone, #1 (10/10/2008)

Roswell Rudd, trombone, #4, #10 (1/9/2002)

Alex Ward, clarinet; Joe Williamson, bass, #5 (9/12/2010)

Alex Ward, clarinet; John Edwards, bass; Steve Noble, drums, #8 (3/7/2017)

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Graham Costello - Second Lives (May 7, 2021 Gearbox Records)

Glasgow drummer and composer Graham Costello returns with his second STRATA album, 'Second Lives', out May 7th on Gearbox Records

Second Lives spans Reichian minimalism, semi-free jazz à la Binker and Moses, polyrhythmic math rock, and pensive, cinematic ambience. The album was recorded straight to tape last summer at RAK Studios with co-producer and engineer Hugh Padgham at the helm, mixed at British Grove, and subsequently mastered in-house at Gearbox. The inspiration and wider themes of Second Lives sit with thoughts of identity, heritage, and Stoicism, as well as the theme of overcoming inner challenges - what you face and the process you go through to get to the other side.

The album features STRATA, an ensemble formed by Graham in 2016 which brings together stylistic elements of minimalism, jazz and noise-rock whilst channelling a strong DIY ethic. Made up of some of Scotland's most exciting musical proponents, the band features: pianist Fergus McCreadie, whose critically acclaimed new solo album just came out via Edition Records; guitarist Joe Williamson, who was named Young Scottish Jazz Musician Of The Year in 2018 and leads hard-hitting 5-piece Animal Society; rising Trombonist Liam Shortall, who also leads jazz collective corto.alto; renowned bassist Mark Hendry and rising saxophonist Harry Weir who also leads AKU!.

What they say about Graham and STRATA:

"unrelenting waves of cinematic imagery accrue an intensity that never seems to level off, even after the last note has faded.” - Bandcamp

“Vibrant, caustic, fascinating” - Clash Magazine

“Dedicated, artful… fantastic” - Sunday Times

1. အစ

2. Eudaimonia

3. Legion

4. Iris

5. The Colossus

6. Circularity 

7. Impetu

8. Snowblind

9. Arrowhead

10. Ataraxia

11. Second Lives

Graham Costello’s STRATA features:

Harry Weir - tenor saxophone

Liam Shortall - trombone

Fergus McCreadie - piano

Joe Williamson - guitar

Mark Hendry - electric bass

Graham Costello - drums + composition

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Disquiet - Disquiet (2021 Trost Records)

Disquiet is a special quartet that came together on the stage of the Konfrontationen festival in 2018. Initially formed and lead by Austrian electronic musician Christof Kurzmann, the project is reflecting the difficult political situation of the refugee movements to Europe – and how politicians deal with it in a selfish and unhumanitarian way. Christof Kurzmann, Sofia Jernberg, Martin Brandlmayr (Radian) and Joe Williamson reinterpret and process in quiet waves of emotions and thoughtful lyrics - concentrated music between serenity and sheer beauty, esp when Kurzmann and Jernberg sing a duet with Joe McPhees lyrics.

1. Disquiet 47:14

Christof Kurzmann - lloopp, vocals

Sofia Jernberg - voice

Joe Williamson - double bass

Martin Brandlmayr - drums

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