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Seamus Blake: Guardians Of The Heart Machine
ByIn 2017 Blake assembled a new quartet, The French Connection which included Tony Tixier on piano, bassist Florent Nisse and Gautier Garrigue on drums, all three, unsurprisingly, hailing from France. They recorded their first album in Paris in November 2017 and this is Blake's debut for Whirlwind Recordings. Following in the wake of Blake's 2016 album Bridges (AMP) and 2015's Superconductor (5Passion), Guardians Of The Heart Machine opens with the title track that's distinguished by a lustrous, memorable melody. Blake's tenor saxophone dominates on "Vaporbabe," alternately limpid and coruscating. Meanwhile the Thelonious Monk-ish "Betty In Rio" is an exuberant tune with a lithe, indelible hook line.
A point of difference arrives with the closer "The Blasted Heath," Blake's fragile, plaintive vocals subtly melding with piano and bass. The feeling here is not unlike the recitative populating several sections of Carla Bley's Escalator Over The Hill (JCOA, 1971), which makes Blake's unusual delivery all the more appealing. The album's mood is comprehensive, ranging from the mellow ballad "I'm Okay" to the angular "Lanota," but all sharing the unifying characteristics of sheer bravura performances and satisfyingly assured compositions.
Track Listing
Guardians Of The Heart Machine; Vaporbabe; Sneaky D; I’m Okay; Lanota; Wandering Aengus; Betty In Rio; Blues For The Real Human Beings; The Blasted Heath.
Personnel
Seamus Blake
saxophone, tenorSeamus Blake: tenor saxophone, voice; Tony Tixier: piano; Florent Nisse: double bass; Gautier Garrigue: drums.
Album information
Title: Guardians Of The Heart Machine | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Whirlwind Recordings
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About Seamus Blake
Instrument: Saxophone, tenor
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