Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Spring Heel Jack: Songs And Themes

322

Spring Heel Jack: Songs And Themes

By

Sign in to view read count
Spring Heel Jack: Songs And Themes
At the turn of this new century the duo of John Coxon and Ashley Wales, know as Spring Heel Jack took the words to heart of Jeffrey Lebowski, commonly known as "the dude" when he proclaimed, "this aggression will not stand, man!" The pair turned from their hyper-programmed drum 'n' bass origins to a ground breaking free jazz-meets-ambient style. With Songs And Themes their reputation as master organizers is articulated to near perfection.

While they have taken up instruments; Coxon the guitar, violin and bass and Wales has played various horns and guitars on previous albums, these two act more as producers or as a co-movie directors. On the previous Masses (2001), Amassed (2002), Live (2003), and The Sweetness Of The Water (2004) they collaborated with the jazz and free improvisation superstars, Evan Parker, Han Bennink, William Parker, Tim Berne, and Paul Rutherford, to name a just a few. These combinations could never have been realized without the vision of the progressive label Thirsty Ear's chiefs Peter Gordon and Matthew Shipp, whose mission is to steer jazz back into conversation with today's musical happenings.

Their music is a combination of Teo Macero meets Brian Eno and Tetsu Inoue's house. The story revealed is Coxon and Wales' combinations of players. They pair the majestic saxophonist John Tchicai to play over waves of string washes on the track "Dereks" and devise a soundscape (reminiscent of Eno's ambient 1970's work) on "With Out Words" in which John Edwards' bass and the breath of Roy Campbell's trumpet sound more overtly human powered than they might in a strictly acoustic setting.

The dreaminess of their production includes a chamber flute recital, "Eupen," a shreddy guitar visit by J. Spaceman, "1,000 Yards," the luxurious "At Long Last," complete with sampled harp and some lurking bass clarinet by Tchicai, plus some added radio interference. No grand gestures here (i.e. aggression) except for maybe the closing track "Garlands," that features Roy Campbell's trumpet in a sort of Ennio Morricone's spaghetti scored prelude to a shootout, complete with some whistling sounds.

What is admirable is the patience displayed here, the lack of onslaught, and the sounds of master improvising into the ether.

Track Listing

Church Music; Dereks; With Out Words; Eupen; For Paul Rutherford; Folk Players; Silvertone; Claraa; 1,000 Yards; Antiphon; At Long Last; Garlands.

Personnel

Spring Heel Jack
band / ensemble / orchestra

Roy Campbell, Jr.: trumpet, pocket trumpet, flugelhorn, flute; John Coxon: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, sampler, violin, glockenspiel; John Edwards: double bass; Tony Marsh: drums; Orphy Robinson: vibraphone; John Tchicai: alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Ashley Wales: samples; J. Spaceman: electric guitar; Rupert Clervaux: drums; Mark Sanders: drums.

Album information

Title: Songs And Themes | Year Released: 2008 | Record Label: Thirsty Ear Recordings

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.