Phronesis - Alive (2010)

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Flawless in execution, and driven by some of the most infectious and compelling music written in recent years, ‘Alive’ demonstrates an openness that is not always achievable in a studio setting. It is this telepathic empathy between the players and their collective desire to take the music in new directions that prompted Jon Newey (Editor of Jazzwise Magazine), to describe them in live performance as ‘the most exciting and imaginative piano trio since EST’.



As 2009's Green Delay album showed, the young, London-based ensemble Phronesis have a precocious compositional strength, hitching striking themes to engaging grooves; they have improv virtuosity to spare, but never show off, and make light of travelling the most devious rhythmic routes.



This is a compelling session, recorded at Camden's Forge last year, with American drum star Mark Guiliana deputising for absent regular Anton Eger. Trio leader Jasper Høiby, a double-bassist with much of Dave Holland's agility and power, wrote all the pieces, which often revolve around buildups of layered rhythms setting bass patterns against contrasting drum rejoinders, a method Guiliana takes to with an explosive creativity.



Pianist Ivo Neame's relaxed creativity over the most taxing rhythmic puzzles makes the band sound much more lyrical than it really is. Musing beginnings develop ambiguous Latin grooves and then abandon them for free-swing; romantic themes that sound like old John Lewis tunes for the Modern Jazz Quartet give way to astonishing bass-led twisters, as in the time-juggling Abraham's New Gift; and bass intros pinging with harmonics develop folksy melodies reminiscent of Guiliana's sometimes employer Avishai Cohen.



Alive sounds like one of the hot UK jazz-album contenders of 2010.-



Recorded Live 3rd and 4th March 2010 at The Forge Arts Venue, London.-



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Tracklist:

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01 - Blue Inspiration

02 - French

03 - Eight Hours

04 - Abraham's New Gift

05 - Rue Cinq Diamants

06 - Happy Notes

07 - Love Song

08 - Untitled #2



*2010 Edition Records | EDN1021





Personnel:

Jasper Høiby: double-bass

Ivo Neame: piano

Mark Guiliana: drums