john eyles

The Bruknahm Project

Brook-Nam was a name coined in NYC in the mid-80s from Brook(lyn) + (Viet)nam. At the time, it was popular in rap lyrics, and was intended to indicate attributes shared by the borough and the country, particularly how some sections of Brooklyn were like battle zones. The Bruknahm Project knowingly uses a similar title, seemingly to indicate an eclectic, urban-worldbeat perspective on the music, rather than any great affinity for rap (despite its effective appearance on the track 'Proof'.).

The Project arose as a collaboration between two composer/producers; Saundi Wilson, son of jazz-drummer Philip Wilson, and Sebastian SibaGiba' Bardin, who has produced artists like Maceo Parker and Lester Bowie. ( Bowie is sampled on the track 'Lester Left Town'). The music is wildly eclectic. On 'Elitist Bullshit', a free jazz sax screams over African drumming. The title track, 'Bruknahm' features a tasteful low-key rhythm section plus sweeping orchestral strings, and could be the soundtrack to a French B-movie. 'Jihad' has repetitive, wailing Middle Eastern female vocals over chanting and strict-metre percussion. 'Panama Canal' verges on fusion. And so on.

Initially, I had to check this was not a compilation sampler, so diverse is the music here. But no, it is just that good old NYC eclecticism that we know and have come to accept/expect (knowing nods to Don Byron, Uri Caine...)

In his sample, Lester Bowie says that 'jazz is not a type of music, it's an attitude; it's about feeling, it's about motion.' Be that as it may, this is not a jazz album. However, it does have attitude, feeling, motion (and quite a lot of pizzazz). Worth further investigation.

Meet The Curlews!

For over twenty years and eight albums to date, Curlew have constantly changed personnel and instrumentation, and explored an ever-evolving musical territory. Meet The Curlews (with its echoes of The Beatles first US album title) may be a deliberate attempt at a restart. Or it may just be irony. Anyway, long-time members saxophonist George Cartwright and guitarist Davey Williams welcome newcomers Bruce Golden on drums, Fred Chalenor on bass and Chris Parker on piano. The music they produce is accessible, and about as conventional as Curlew get. As ever, it defies categorisation, being derived as much from the language of rock as from jazz.

All five members contribute original compositions with memorable melodies and compelling rhythms. The playing does not have many solos, but it does have plenty of subtle and sustained ensemble work and interaction. The primary focus seems to be on the compositions rather than on individual virtuosity. The only real exceptions close out the album; 'Late December (reprise)' is a slow-paced solo piano improvisation, and 'Middle and Fall' is a welcome showcase for Williams' guitar and then Cartwright's sax. Those two tracks are the nearest thing here to straight-ahead jazz. Other tracks are related to jazz but seem to gently debunk it, rather in the manner of Frank Zappa's attitude to jazz. So, on the opening theme of 'Barn Door' the playing is mannered, even laboured, in a way that seems knowingly (but subtly) mocking.

This is an intriguing and pleasurable album.

Bar Torque

Elton Dean and Mark Hewins have been playing together for well over twenty years and it shows. In 1981, Hewins joined Dean's Soft Heap quartet and the two would often open as a duo prior to the full group playing. They have the intuitive understanding of each others playing that is essential to a good improvising duo. (And, no matter how much initial mutual sympathy there is, such understanding really only develops from playing together over time.)

Hewins is an experimental and innovative guitar player. He has developed techniques of resonating the guitar body by rubbing, tapping and blowing which can make intriguing viewing live. Here he uses synth guitar to generate sounds unrecognisable as guitar but highly effective and affecting nonetheless. For instance, on Merilyn's Cave, he mimics natural sounds including the twittering of birds, the sound of the wind and the sea. Hewins certainly brings out the quieter, more lyrical and melodic side of Elton Dean, whose sax here frequently has a mellow, pastoral sound to it. His playing throughout is simply beautiful.
One of the paradoxes of the best improvised music is that it is often praised as not sounding improvised. This usually means that the players are so attuned that their interactions appear prearranged (or telepathic.) This album is just such a case.