Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Adrian Frey Trio: The Sign

180

Adrian Frey Trio: The Sign

By

View read count
Adrian Frey Trio: The Sign
Adrian Frey attended Zurich and New England Conservatories, studying at the latter with teachers with a modern approach to jazz. One, Jerry Bergonzi , is recognized with a dedication, Blues for Jerry . If this session is any indication, Frey paid very close attention to his teachers as this well formed group leans heavily toward the free jazz end of the jazz genre spectrum. But structure and melody are not thrown out the window. There are some lovely performances here such as "Before the Night Takes It Away". The unity and symbiosis of the group are evident here and throughout this album of well constructed and textured originals, plus a standard. Their oneness of purpose is heard on such tracks as White Light which kicks in with waltz time then seques into a faster tempo urged on by Dominik Burkhalter's drums which support, not override, the piano. But interspersed is a longish, discordant drum solo which seems out of place on what otherwise is a melodic piece of music. The centerpiece, the title tune, is dedicated to Kenny Kirkland, a talented but under recognized pianist who passed away in 1998. Frey's piano and even Burkhalter's drums, take on a round and soothing, almost pastoral tone underscored by Dominique Girod's bowed bass. "JCJSB" are the initials of John Coltrane and Johann Sebastian Bach, melding the impressionism of the former with the baroque of the latter.

This a fine outing for this Swiss contingent, even with the occasional run away drumming. The album cover is rather strange as each member of the trio has assumed a scrunched up crouching position, back to the viewer, looking as if they were about to face the guillotine. I'm sure this is symbolic of something. But what it is escapes me. You can get in touch with Adrian at [email protected].

Track Listing

The Sign; Duc; Les Sebots; Waltz for the Lonely; Out of Nowhere; Before the Night Takes It Away; White Light; JCJSB; Blues for Jerry; Chill Out

Personnel

Adrian Frey - Piano; Dominik Burkhalter - Drums; Dominique Girod - Bass

Album information

Title: The Sign | Year Released: 2001

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About 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 make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

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

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.