Perfect Stranger: Unfinished Business

There cannot be too many artists who release music 50 years after composing it. In 1974, Chris Sansom wrote six tracks, the highlight being a four-movement piece, echoing the structure of a classical symphony but taking influences from the progressive rock of the time to create something outside conventional jazz. He formed a band to play it, called it Perfect Stranger and set about recording. The complexity of the music required many rehearsals; space to do this was in short supply, so the project faded. Fast-forward 50 years to 2024 and the opportunity to record came about so the music can finally make its long-awaited debut under the title of Unfinished Business.

Sansom conducts Perfect Stranger and plays bass on one track. He studied music at King's College and has had his compositions performed by a variety of performers, from the Arditti Quartet to the Grimethorpe Colliery Band. Joining him to realise his vision are a nonet comprising of guitarist Eddy White, percussionist Rob Millett, keyboardist Alcyona Mick, trombonist Tom Green and trumpeter Shanti Jayasinha. Mick Foster and Adam Bishop provide the saxophones and flutes; the line-up is completed by drummer Jonas Golland and bassist Paul Michael (both of whom excel throughout).

The opening track is entitled "Life and Times (Of A Perfect Stranger)." It is split into four movements, the first being "Formative Years." This complex and fast-moving track features many unusual time signatures. There is only time for brief solos as the focus is tightly controlled and continually shifts to different combinations of instruments as the conductor weaves an intricate tapestry of sound. "Ankle Deep In Dust" is a more mellow affair as Jayasinha's flugelhorn gets some breathing space and Mick and Bishop combine elegantly on piano and bass clarinet. "Midlife Crisis" is lively and fun, with White's guitar and Green's trombone to the fore. The fourth movement is the cleverly titled "It's Weird Being The Same Age As Old People." With occasional echoes of 1970s concept albums, this features an elegiac hymn-like section woven into rock structures and drum solos. Foster's tenor and Bishop's alto sax solos are highlights.

"Lugubrious Boots" features Sansom on fretless bass, which allows Michael's excellent bass solo to evolve slowly before the pace builds with Millett's vibraphone and White's guitar. This leads to horn phrases and waltz time before the track loses focus. The final track is the 22-minute "Ludgwig's Van." It is based on Beethoven's Grosse Fugue Op. 133, a work which is generally regarded as inaccessible. Fortunately, Sansom does not follow it too closely; the funky rhythms and reggae section are some way from Beethoven's original intent. Apart from a rhythmless improvisational central section, the track moves swiftly along with vibrant solos.

This unusual project has much to offer. The four movements come at one quickly and overflow with ideas. There is complexity amongst the entertainment, but the twists and turns happen quickly with nothing outlasting its welcome. There are exciting solos, improvisations and instrumental combinations offering a mix of jazz, classical and rock. The album is sometimes eccentric, sometimes sublime, offering much to enjoy.

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