Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders: Ecliptic

Some books are divided into chapters—numbered, titled, and carefully structured. The musical equivalent is the tracklist: segmented, labeled pieces presented in order. But Ecliptic by the trio Shifa (شفاء, Arabic for "healing") rejects that format entirely. This 46-minute set of improvised music by saxophonist Rachel Musson, pianist Pat Thomas and drummer Mark Sanders unfolds without titles, track divisions, or breaks. It is a single, uninterrupted performance recorded live at London's Café OTO in February 2023.

Like their previous releases, Live in Oslo (577 Records, 2020) and Live at Café OTO (577 Records, 2019), Ecliptic operates as a musical equilateral triangle—no dominant voice, no designated leader, just balanced collaboration. Each musician contributes equally, intuitively shifting between leading and supporting roles. This egalitarian interplay comes naturally to players of this caliber. Musson, an in-demand saxophonist, can be heard not only with her own groups but also alongside Alexander Hawkins, Olie Brice, and Alex Ward. Sanders is a foundational figure in UK free improvisation, his drumming integral to countless projects. Thomas, a master of piano, keyboards, and electronics, has—after years of tireless innovation—become something of a late-breaking icon, particularly through his work with groups like [ISM] and أحمد [Ahmed].

Because Ecliptic is presented as a single continuous piece, the music flows like a stream—sometimes tranquil, sometimes torrential, always in motion. At points, Musson's raw, overblown tenor saxophone locks into Thomas's thunderous, two-fisted piano assault, while Sanders pieces together his rhythmic architecture with percussive precision. The energy rises, the sound surges and the trio conjures the full physicality of what has long been dubbed "fire music."

Then, seemingly as one, the ensemble pulls back. The volume drops, the intensity shifts. A trill from the saxophone, a breath into the mouthpiece, fingers searching the inside of the piano, cymbals kissed and scraped—these quieter interludes invite close listening. Here, the intimacy is less about sheer force and more about subtle exchange. Not that the fire lacks intimacy, but rather that the hush demands a different kind of attention—a leaning-in, a recalibration of the ears.

Ecliptic resists easy categorization or summary; it unfolds as an act of collective creation, a sonic event that demands to be experienced in full. Shifa reminds us that improvisation, at its best, is not just spontaneous but deeply attuned—healing, even—and that some of the most profound musical statements are made without a single pause.

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