Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Wren/Stabbins/Riley/Sanders: Four In The Afternoon

99

Wren/Stabbins/Riley/Sanders: Four In The Afternoon

By

Sign in to view read count
Wren/Stabbins/Riley/Sanders: Four In The Afternoon
This 2001 session was a return to the improvising scene by bassist Tony Wren. For those who are tuned into the British scene, his return was celebrated. For those of us stateside, who only get bits and pieces of information and performances via recordings, please rejoice in this quartet date.

The significance of this session stems from the maturity and sophistication of the music making. Listeners not aware that this is pure improvisation, with no prior discussion of the sequences created, would pronounce much of this to be either noted or pre-planned. With assurances from label chief Martin Davidson as to the spontaneity, you can only marvel at this recording.

Music heard here starts out with quiet ideas only to build in intensity, before release. The energy passages remain rooted in jazz, as does the entire vocabulary. That makes the music accessible, especially on disc (as opposed to catching t live). While Wren seems to stay in the background throughout, his amiable bass guides throughout. Saxophonist Larry Stabbins is the point man here, working both the bottom end and the whistling top to great effect. Pianist Howard Riley is a patient collaborator as is drummer Mark Sanders.

This is a superb recording of very accessible free jazz.

Track Listing

A Soft Day; Game Of Two Halves; Where Are The Snows...; Rough Crossing; Blue Dark; Embarrassment Of Witches; Transcension.

Personnel

Larry Stabbins – Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone; Howard Riley – Piano; Tony Wren – Double Bass; Mark Sanders – Drums.

Album information

Title: Four In The Afternoon | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Emanem

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.