Eddie Parker's Airborn With Rob Luft: Airborn

Trying to pin Eddie Parker's music to a specific genre is a thankless task. For over 40 years, this acclaimed flautist and keyboard player has explored a variety of musical territory including rock (Eschersteps), classical and world music (The Debussy Mirrored Ensemble), South African Jazz (Bheki Mseleku) and Ibiza (A Man Called Adam). He is also a regular member of the Will Gregory Moog Ensemble and a former member of the acclaimed big band Loose Tubes.

His focus moves to Eddie Parker's Airborn with Rob Luft. Their album Airborn features his quartet exploring new sound worlds across 14 original compositions. As the band's name suggests, Parker is joined by guitarist Luft, with bassist Dave Mannington and drummer Jay Davis completing a line-up of which Parker says: "They teach me something new whenever I play with them and interact with them."

Parker's baroque wooden flute marks the introduction to the opening track "Prelude." Supported by bowed bass, cymbals and hazy guitar textures, the piece flows into the multi-part Airborn suite. Divided into "Airborn 1," "Airborn 2" and so on, the suite is threaded throughout the album, its sections separated by contrasting compositions and brief scene-setting interludes.

Parker utilizes keyboards for "Airborn 1," his synergy with Luft becoming immediately apparent. Returning to flute for "Airborn 2," he blends well with Mannington, building a relaxed atmosphere during his solo. "Airborn 3" introduces some odd-meter passages, though the light funk feel wins through. That funk is dialed up on the lively "Airborn 5." There is, intriguingly, no "Airborn 4."

"To Plant A Tree" unfolds slowly as Parker's piano establishes a memorable melody before Luft's harmonic imagination takes flight. Their interplay is exceptional, making this a clear album highlight. Elsewhere, Parker's interest in the composer and music theorist Arnold Schoenberg surfaces throughout the recording, nowhere more clearly than on "Wonky Clockwork," where Davis embraces the music's unpredictability with characteristically inventive drumming.

Showing excellent interplay, the evocative "Cortège" is underpinned by Mannington's arco bass, which establishes a sombre foundation as Parker's atmospheric flute floats over guitar textures and Davis' funereal marching beat. The album closes with "Oke Quixote." This nod to Kenny Wheeler engages with dazzling guitar and Parker soloing on synthesizer.

Parker's restless musical curiosity shines through on Airborn. His partnership with Luft proves especially rewarding, and the quartet's chemistry gives Parker room to continue to explore new musical directions, often finding moments of beauty along the way.