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Mammal Hands: Circadia
by David Bruggink
On their sixth full-length release, Mammal Hands moves from Manchester's Gondwana Records to the German jazz powerhouse ACT. The former indie label proved an excellent fit for their contemplative piano-saxophone-drums format, which draws from jazz, modern classical, and post-rock in a manner both sensitive and cohesive. ACT's association with the Esbjörn Svensson Trio (e.s.t.) makes the partnership feel logical, given Mammal Hands' own boundary-blurring trajectory. Since forming in 2012, the Norwich-based trio has distinguished itself among artists translating ambient, ...
Continue ReadingMammal Hands: Circadia
by Neil Duggan
The album title Circadia reflects themes of renewal and change rooted in the cyclical patterns of life. For the English trio Mammal Hands, change is the keyword: this sixth release marks a significant step in their evolution. Their move to the Act Music label represents a notable shift, one that may broaden their visibility while giving fresh impetus to their musical independence. Equally significant is the arrival of new drummer, Rob Turner, formerly of GoGo Penguin, who joined ...
Continue ReadingVega Trails: Sierra Tracks
by Andrew Hunter
There is something about watching the evening sunlight move across a distant mountain range that draws a response from even the most jaded soul. The colours, the shimmer in the air, the sense of scale--it is a scene made for peaceful introspection and contemplation. Sierra Tracks by Vega Trails is Milo Fitzpatrick's response to moving to central Spain from England. Portico Quartet, the band Fitzpatrick is better-known for, chose their name while playing under a portico to shelter from the ...
Continue ReadingMammal Hands: Gift from the Trees
by Neil Duggan
At first glance, Mammal Hands may seem a traditional jazz trio, but their perspectives on the jazz landscape offer enticing and engrossing new directions. Gift from the Trees is their fifth album and shows a new maturity in sound and feel. It draws on influences from folk, electronica, modern classical and ambient to produce a fresh and enveloping sound. The trio--saxophonist Jordan Smart, pianist Nick Smart (yes, they're brothers) and drummer/percussionist Jesse Barrett--all jointly contribute to the compositions. Jordan Smart ...
Continue ReadingMammal Hands: Shadow Work
by Phil Barnes
Our best musicians can soak up influences from many diverse sources, assimilate them into their own style, and allow them to emerge during improvisation. This is why, as readers of this site will surely be aware, a piece can sound different in the hands of two skilled jazz musicians even when the raw material of the composition is constant. When this level of openness is maintained over time it can allow musicians, such as Mammal Hands here, to show a ...
Continue ReadingMammal Hands: Floa
by Phil Barnes
Mammal Hands debut album Animalia from autumn 2014 impressed with its emphasis on the overall collective effect over solo pyrotechnics, a choice that perfectly complemented the build and release of tension in the music. Of course in a trio set up the contributions of each member are always discernible and the twist of substituting Jordan Smart's saxophone for the bass position in the traditional piano trio gave the space that their sound needed. Floa, a Norse word for deluge or ...
Continue ReadingMammal Hands: Animalia
by Phil Barnes
Tough economic times have seen a lot of musicians aggregate into trios of one sort or another of late. Sonically the more minimalist sound has the upside that it is more easily reproduced live and avoids the logistical and financial difficulties of maintaining a large ensemble. The trouble is that it becomes more and more difficult for trios and other small ensembles to stand out from the crowd -fine if you have the postmodern verve of say GoGo Penguin or ...
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