Eddie Gripper: Home

Home is the debut album from Eddie Gripper, an English pianist, composer and educator from Oxfordshire. He's now based in Cardiff, where he studied jazz at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama with Huw Warren. He has collaborated with Warren and also with Iain Ballamy, John Parricelli and Welsh folk artist Angharad Jenkins of Calan. His debut features fellow graduates from the same university, bassist Ursula Harrison and drummer Isaac Zuckerman.

The recording came out of the turmoil of lockdown and was influenced by personal experiences. The album is dedicated to the memory of Gripper's late grandparents, and this is fundamental to the direction of the music. This is far from a melancholic album, however, as Gripper delivers a rich variety of atmospheres and arrangements. All seven of the compositions are by Gripper and his playing may bear comparison with the styles of Shai Maestro and David Benoit. He also allows Harrison and Zuckerman plenty of space to mix their improvisations into the compositions.

Gripper's early education was in classical music and his mellow touch is apparent in the early stages of the engaging opening track, "Before The Storm." The track gradually picks up pace as the themes emerge over a gentle wash of Zuckerman's cymbals. The tune weaves and loops before an abrupt change of pace which allows Harrison's bass to set the path for the second half of the track.

"Castle" follows and starts with a rhythmic piano introduction before Harrison takes over with a crisp bass lead. Piano and bass then intertwine before Gripper delivers a poised solo. "A Song Unsprung" allows Gripper to exhibit some laid-back phrases over Zuckerman's brushes before he switches to sticks to shape and intensify the track. Harrison's bass then leads an interlude before the trio brings the track to a conclusion.

There is a light and uplifting feel with both "Mum's Best Friend," which has a quickening piano pattern, and the title track, which gradually builds over a brushed drums and beguiling bass lines to an uplifting end. In contrast, "Lament" has a spacious and sensitive style over its seven minutes. There is no percussion on this track as Gripper and Harrison mostly engage in a slow and poignant exchange. "To The Moon" concludes the album. It is a gently voiced solo piano track that shows that behind Gripper's quiet economy lie great reserves of intensity.

This is a satisfying debut album pairing demanding rhythms and refined frameworks. Gripper shows both prowess and sophistication in his playing as do Harrison and Zuckerman. At the time of the recording, all the band members knew that they would soon be going their separate ways. It is to be hoped that the trio can reconvene at some point in the future as this seems too good to be a one-off.

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