This is an easy swinging 50 minutes of intricate guitar led instrumentals that ranges from jazz-rock to prog-rock with a bit of blues, Latin, folk, eastern vibes and country swing thrown in for good measure. It should be a relaxed easy going session but it grooves solidly and holds the attention from first to last. Definitely more for urban nights than for accompanying the first sundowner of the evening on the patio. Dudley Phillips at the back has all the basses covered and provides such a solid anchor all the way through. This allows for everyone else, including drummer, Nick Smalley, the freedom for adventurous excursions of their own.
It manages to be both
intricate and expansive, rewarding both an attention to fine detail and a step
back to listen to the whole panoramic vision. There are, unsurprisingly, many
moments of detailed Metheny/Montgomery-esque picking, but there are also
occasions when something more robustly scything and rock godderry comes to the
fore. I was reminded as well of a 70s group called Charlie, purveyors of
glistening rock doodles, who made the mistake of appearing just in time to be
swept away by the whole punk rock/new wave tsunami.
As a whole, the album
unfolds in a series of rises and falls a soundtrack for driving through hills
and valleys, with the keys often providing a dominant lead voice at the opening
of each tune before giving way to the intertwining guitars of Allard and Trim. This
is where the magic happens with the two contrasting voices soaring to the
clouds, challenging and pushing each other higher with every turn.
A special tip of the hat
is reserved for Migration, the only
Allard/Trim co-composition on the album which sees the two guitars emerge from
a ‘swampy’ backdrop to perform a tightly wound intricate (again) dance that
spreads the joy with every note.
There is much to enjoy in
this album and I’m filing this at the right hand of the shelf where all the
good stuff goes and I can see this album accompanying me on future long
journeys.
Looking at Chris Allard’s
website HERE
there aren’t many gigs arranged to go with the album’s release and none in this
part of the world. I also note that he has been out as part of a Ben Crosland
Quintet on occasion and if you like the sort of sounds Ben comes out with I
think you’ll really enjoy Woven in Time.
As a final note, it seems there is a promise of another more
‘live-in-the-studio’ album for the end of the year. That may well make it onto
the Christmas gift list.
Tracks: 11th Planet; Aziza Etude; Woven in Time; Driving Home; Dancing in the Flame; Frozen Light; Migration; Bossa para Rosa; De La Luz; Skyline Drive.
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