CD Review: Tori Freestone Trio - El Mar de Nubes

Tori Freestone (tenor sax/violin/vocals); 

Dave Manington (double bass); Tim Giles (drums)  

(Review by Chris).

The second of my “Three Tenors” recent releases is the third album from this contemporary, UK trio led by one of our most inventive sax players. The playing is a circumspect contrast to the direct blowing of Partisans (and positively relaxing compared to Kamasi) but no less enjoyable for that!   A closer comparison might be with some of Trish Clowes’ recent playing but while there is abundant imagination and innovation here, Freestone’s all-acoustic trio don’t travel as widely in idiom or dynamics. If you’re looking for hard blowing, driving bop, funk, or even swing, this isn't for you, but this chordless trio delivers truckloads of expressive, fresh and intricate music nonetheless.   

The album opens with El Mar de Nubes (Sea of Clouds - the album inspired by a stay in Tenerife) and  introduces a distinctive, recurring style of sax interplaying with subtle drums and bass, exploring and teasing a repeated motif, stretching emphasis and tempo.  The second track, Hiding Jekyll takes this method further, twisting a phrase in all sorts of interesting directions, with bass and drums seamlessly intertwining and reinforcing. At first hearing, I found the approach a little mechanical, but as so often, it took me a couple of plays to appreciate the clever, nuanced lines. 

There is great diversity throughout the album, with Shenandoah first receiving a breathy and sparse treatment, with a contrasting reprise closing the album seeing Freestone switching to violin and singing a more familiar version.    

  

Hasta la Vista is a showcase for bass and drums (much more here than a mere “rhythm section”!), starting with Tim Giles’ “time games”, all three players trading licks, then alternating with more relaxed passages, with some free blowing between.  El Camino by contrast is slower, ruminating and wistful, played over loose, bubbling and splashing percussion (no time, no changes – at least not obvious to my ears!).  

A very “non-standard” Beatrice starts slowly with lovely meandering sax gliding effortlessly through the changes, gradually gathers pace as Giles swaps brushes for sticks, dabbles with a swing for a while, and reaches a full-tilt climax.

My favourite track, Los Indianos, puts percussion to the fore, with a memorable staccato sax theme giving space to Giles’ agile and lively (calypso?) lines.  

Altogether, some very fine, intelligent and musical playing: worth a short trip to see them on tour June 13 @ - Newcastle Arts Centre Details.

Chris Kilsby 

Available on Whirlwind Recordings. Buy/see.