SLAMCD332 Steve Cohn, George Haslam & Steve Kershaw – Ancient & Modern

US pianist Steve Cohn alongside saxophonist George Haslam and bassist Steve Kershaw, performing in the beautiful All Saints Church in rural Oxfordshire. The churchyard is the burial place of George Orwell – hence the ‘Orwell’s Blues’ reference.

The music programme attempted to trace influences from folk songs, blues and free improvisation. The trio met for the first time at the church – Steve C arrived in UK the day before; Steve K returned home from holiday also the day before and, as he had a lunchtime gig on the day of the concert, was not able to meet Steve C before it was time to take the stage. Everything that had to be said was in the music.

George Haslam: baritone and alto saxophones, tarogato
Steve Cohn: piano, shakuhachi, hichiriki, shofar
Steve Kershaw: double bass

“The disc begins with a sublime duo of taragato and acoustic bass playing “Scarborough Fair”, covered by Simon & Garfunkel in the mid-sixties. Considering that this was recorded in a church, it does have a rather spiritual sound, reminding me of Coltrane doing “My Favorite Things”…Mr. Cohn plays soulful, gospel-ish solo piano on “Orwell’s Blues”…Another highlight is a swaggering version of “Blue Monk” for a baritone sax, piano and bass trio. Another great cover for the trio is Charles Mingus’ “Nostalgia in Times Square”, lush and laid back. On “Baritone Happiness”, Mr. Haslam takes a long, tasty, soulful bari sax solo, which tells an ongoing story as it goes.” – Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

“Cohn gets some solo space on a wonderfully patient “Orwell’s Blues” and teams up with Kershaw on a bluesy bopper of “Walking In An English Desert” while playing the traditional shakuhachi flute on a dreamy and ethereal “Dog Blue.” Haslam picks up his baritone and blows a mean bop on “Blue Monk” and swings hard during “Nostalgia In Times Square” with the team stretching out on an enjoyable “Baritone Happiness.” Flexible and fun!” – George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly

“Given the venue and the setting the musicians scrupulously avoid playing anything likely to startle either the locals or the horses, although the nuanced gutbucket swagger of the lengthy Baritone Happiness is debatably an example of the Devil’s music in God’s house. All three musicians are clearly revelling in spontaneous creation anyway. Orwell’s Blues, another more obvious example of that Devil’s music, taken solo by Cohn on piano, makes the same point more emphatically. Scarborough Fair should by no means inevitably have shades of Coltrane’s take on Greensleeves about it, although it does, and there’s creative tension in the air which makes for compelling listening, not least because, in another far from overbearing echo, George Haslam’s tárogató work has traces of Peter Brotzmann’s work on the higher reeds about it.” – Nic Jones, Jazz Journal

“The music is a bouillabaisse of ideas and styles, garnered from an extensive and multifarious array of origins, from jazz classics and be-bop, to the abstract of free improv. So, the trio explores those frontiers, the old and the new, custom being tempered by ideas as yet untested and untried, truly experimental – and yet, the whole album is truly lyrical…bassist Steve Kershaw has a long standing, empathetic relationship with Haslam and it’s a compelling partnership, as he is able to bring musicians and styles of musical expression together and knit them together as one. That’s a remarkable achievement, worthy of our recognition. Fantastic album. Don’t miss it.” – Ken Cheetham, Jazz Views

Recorded live in All Saints Church, Sutton Courtenay, England. 31 July 2018
Mastered by Tim Turan, Turan Audio, Oxford

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