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Bill Stewart: Space Squid
ByThe album opens on "Paris Lope," a piece inspired by a pre-gig stroll through The City Of Lights. Stewart and Street create a cantering feel befitting the title, Blake's ardent tenor solo heats up the atmosphere, and Carrothers' piano statement is a fluid and unalloyed beauty. The followupthe eerie, probing "End Of Earth"is a complete change of direction, what with its roaming, untethered, dystopian viewpoint. Nothing that follows is nearly as bleak or free-minded. "Tincture" bounds along in upbeat fashion and contains some standout Stewart soloing that exudes brilliance and bonhomie, "Happy Walk" takes off with a slick and funky Stewart-Street groove, "Blue Sway" projects unexpected harmonies of a bluesy nature against woozy swing, and "Dancing In The Dark" ends things on a classy note.
There's a fine balance between suppleness and strength throughout Space Squid, pinpointing what makes Stewart such an in-demand drummer. It's almost hard to believe that the man who's gently supporting Blake's soprano on the gentle, dark-lined "Drop Of Dusk" is the same musician who's playing the hell out of the dastardly, piano-less title track. But focusing solely on Stewart's drumming only detracts from his masterful composing. His writing is grounded in jazz language and logic, yet it's full of little surprises and twists. His conceptualization of a group aesthetic here ultimately plays off of that idea, tapping into the known while injecting a bit of uncertainty into the mix. These four men may not have been a proper band before this date, but you'd never know it from the music.
Track Listing
Paris Lope; End Of Earth; Tincture; Septemberism; Happy Walk; Drop Of Dusk; Dead Ringer; Blue Sway; If Anyone Asks You; Space Squid; Dancing In The Dark.
Personnel
Bill Stewart
drumsSeamus Blake: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; Bill Carrothers: piano; Ben Street: bass; Bill Stewart: drums.
Album information
Title: Space Squid | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Pirouet Records
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