Label: ECM Records, 2022
Personnel - Kit Downes: piano; Petter Eldh: double bass; James Maddren: drums.
The British pianist and composer Kit Downes returns to the trio format and delivers a set of low-key musings in the company of musical cohorts Petter Eldh and James Maddren, bassist and drummer respectively. These musicians have played together several times in different contexts, but only once in trio, under the name of Enemy (Edition Records, 2018). In a similar way of the album I just pointed out, the new Vermillion, comprises originals by Downes and Eldh (five by each) but with the particularity of culminating with an abstract rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s “Castles Made of Sand”, where the band rocks to some degree over the circular harmonic movement that marks its final portion.
The opening piece, “Minus Monks” is elegantly stated by a trio in profound consonance with the sounds they envisioned for this work. Akin to the latter, the two following numbers, “Sister, Sister” and “Seceda”, were penned by Downes. The former, underpinned by restless brushwork, pulls out a contemporary folk feel from the melody that shapes it, whereas the latter is a beautiful impressionistic waltz that, even swinging gently with a Bill Evans type of lyricism atop, might have sprung from the imagination of Debussy.
Elhd’s compositions possess the same essential nature than those by Downes, but bring a bit more rhythmic bait to them. They both find elemental means to construct narratives that are at once rooted in tradition and forward-looking. Examples are “Plus Puls”, which, guided by confident bass lines, has Downes working closer to his backers before finishing it solo; “Sandlands”, which, effortlessly shifting meters, conjures up some Chick Corea’s lively vibes; and “Waders”, which is firmly backed in rhythmic detail.
Although lacking punchy moments, the music is technically well executed and searches in its own way, tending to shed further sparkle with repeated listens. A very homogeneous body of work.
Favorite Tracks:
02 - Sister, Sister ► 03 - Seceda ► 06 - Sandlands