By Paul Acquaro
I read somewhere recently an enumeration of pianist John Escreet's unique
selling points. One placed him the pantheon of modern masters such as Kris
Davis, Matthew Shipp, David Virelles, Myra Melford, Marilyn Crispell, and
Craig Taborn. That is one hell of a list, and after many listening to the
British expat's most recent release, Seismic Shift, I feel there is no reason
refute any of it. The album is fantastic outpouring of tough melodic
statements and bracing rhythmic drive. Escreet, whose previous work includes
forays into fusion, mainstream, modern chamber and avant-garde jazz (check out his 2014 album with Evan
Parker,
Sound Space and Structures
and the follow up live recording The Unknown from 2016) has delivered a
solid album that defies easy categorization.
Joined by bassist Eric Revis and drummer Damion Reid, Seismic Shift was recorded in Escreet's new home of Los Angeles.
Maybe Seismic Shift refers to the move to a place that lives on the edge of
seismic activity, always waiting for the big one, or maybe it refers to the
bold, vibrant, and uncompromising rhythms and harmonic movements that the
trio creates together. Regardless, from the opening track 'Study No. 1,'
all of those adjectives come to play - the piano work is melodic and
rambunctious, the bass playing veers kaleidoscopically between punctuating
lines and spitfire runs, and the drumming is driving and supportive,
both mirroring the intensity and speed of the piano. The power of the track rides on the rich interplay of the three
musicians.
The second track is a rendition of pianist Stanley Cowell's 'Equipoise.'
Starting off with a pendular swing between two deeply resonating chords, the
piece quickly opens up with a gentle, but firm, melodic groove. Revis is up
first for a solo, which he delivers with near shadowing the from Reid.
Escreet takes over next with a growing cascade of arpeggios and gently
angular statements. The next track, 'Outwards and Upwards,' begins with a
great you-are-falling-into-a-deep-(and-disturbing)-sleep sequence and continues along a dreamlike stream of discontent,
unexpected rhythmic changes and questioning ribbons of notes. It
eventually settles into an uneasy gait, and as ungainly as it is, it is hard
to turn one's ears away.
The ballad 'Perpetual Love' is a highlight of the recording, starting off patiently mid-tempo, the bass and piano start peeling away layers,
exposing a deep, melodic core. Reid's drumming is provocative
and pushes Escreet along, until a bare solo from Revis springs out in the
middle of the song. This turns into something else entirely as
rhythmic figures from the piano and drums begin disrupting and
rerouting the musical flow. Interestingly, the title track is less hard
hitting as one may anticipate, or at least at first. It is a slow burner
that starts darkly, rather abstractly, many musical ellipses between the
notes, but its power builds subtly, until Escreet's runs reach a gripping
climax. The album wraps with the evocatively titled 'The
Water is Tasting Worse,' more than just an aftershock of the main events,
Revis and Reid provide a deep, syncopated path for Escreet's accentuated
phrases and finally, a melodic and rhythmic softening to wrap up this
exhilarating recording.
Working now with some of LA's finest, Escreet has captured the energy that
comes from new constellations and compatible collaborators. Seismic Shift lands in a
provocative space between modern and avant-garde jazz and
documents the start of a new musical adventure for the pianist.
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