Duncan
Eagles – saxophones; Max Luthert – bass; Eric Ford – drums - with
Benet McLean, David LePage – violin; Carmen Flores – viola and Matthew Sharp –
cello.
(Review
by Hugh)
It is
often said that one should not judge a book by its cover – well, in this case a
reviewer should not judge a CD by its first 10 seconds! The first track on String Theory - Clash of the Clans (Part 1) commences
with a burst of scraping horse hair on steel.
This soon gives way to more conventional jazz music with a definite
groove.
Partikel
are a London – based trio who have been making a name for themselves on the
European scene for the last few years. String
Theory is their third release and differs from the previous two releases,
which were the product of preparatory rehearsing and fine tuning of
arrangements before recording. In the
words of Duncan Eagles “with this album [String Theory] the charts I wrote
for the trio were purposefully more open and melodic than previous material and
the arrangements were developed through touring with the band – rather than all
the rehearsing – which I think gives the trio performance on this album a more
natural and spontaneous dynamic”.
This
comes through on the recording. The
first track is one of three parts, followed by Part 2 Seeking Shadows
and Part 3 Midnight Mass.
Eagles
wanted the string quartet to be as involved as possible and for the two
ensembles to interact and improvise together.
This is borne out in Shimmer, where the two ensembles appear to
chase each other. Introduction to the
Buffalo (naturally) precedes The Buffalo – the former is
performed purely by the string quartet,
seguing effortlessly into
the
latter where the two ensembles rejoin.
Eric Ford's Tabla adds an exotic feel to this track and several others
and strings have an almost gypsy quality at times. Next we are back on jazz mainstreet with Bartering
for Bob. Shimmering strings
introduce The River, with Eagles' soprano soaring over the surface,
hovering for a while and then following the flow. We end up on Wray Common (no, I don't
know either – local connection, I presume!).
Matthew Sharp's cello introduces Body and Soul (by Johnny Green)
– this is the only track (other than Introduction to the Buffalo) which
is not composed by Duncan Eagles. Cover
ups the tempo again with the trio powered along by Ford's driving
percussion. The quartet get a rest on
this track. The opening of The
Landing is evocative of the wider
universe (perhaps something to do with the album title?) and the track
has a filmic quality with definite plot progression, the listener will make up
their own mind as to where it's going.
Partikel's
String Theory will be released by Whirlwind Records (catalogue WR4671)
on 11 May 2015. The band are touring
from 28th May with an album launch at Pizza Express on 2 June. None of the dates listed on the information
sheet with the album are north of Bungay as far as I can see. I guess we will have to wait and see if the
band pluck up courage and venture over the border!
Hugh.
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