Breach

“On The Walk”

(BREACHCD01)

Breach is an organ trio featuring three of Scotland’s leading contemporary jazz musicians. The group’s organist, Paul Harrison, is also an exceptional pianist who has worked in this capacity with many of Scotland’s key jazz figures, among them saxophonists Martin Kershaw and Paul Towndrow. Harrison and Kershaw have also worked together in the electro jazz outfit Trianglehead and Harrison’s love of electronic experimentation has also manifested itself via his “Phenoplastic” persona.

Guitarist Graeme Stephen has guested with Trianglehead and also performs as one half of a duo with folk/jazz crossover artist Fraser Fifield (saxophones, pipes, whistles). As well as leading his own sextet Stephen is also a key member of the acclaimed experimental trio NeWt alongside drummer Chris Wallace and trombonist Chris Greive.

Besides his involvement with NeWt Canadian born drummer Wallace also leads the quartet Loose Grip and albums by both these bands are reviewed elsewhere on this site.

As the experimental credentials of its participants might suggest 2011’s self released “On The Walk” is a long way removed from your standard hard grooving, meat ‘n’ potatoes organ trio album. This group is far more adventurous and the nine compositions, spread relatively evenly between the members of the band, cover a range of moods and styles whilst exploring a variety of rhythms, colours and textures. The trio’s harmonic adventurous has been compared to Tony Williams’ Lifetime but a more suitable contemporary British parallel might be Troyka (guitarist Chris Montague, organist Kit Downes and drummer Josh Blackmore) albeit without quite as many vintage prog rock trappings.

The album begins with Wallace’s title track, an odd meter delight full of gently needling guitar lines and inventive, exotic drumming. Harrison’s Hammond adds a more traditional warmth to an intriguing, multi faceted opener that includes a freer, more impressionistic central section featuring Stephen’s guitar.

Stephen’s own “There It Is” continues the reflective mood, a slowly unfolding ballad that opens like a flower and features a deeply soulful solo from Harrison and exquisitely precise cymbal work from Wallace.

Introduced by Wallace at the drums Stephen’s “Blink” adds a rock element as guitar and organ bounce staccato phrases off each other above a vigorous percussive backdrop. Stephen’s guitar sound is heavily rock influenced and Harrison’s feverish solo also owes something to rock keyboard players. It’s perhaps the piece that comes closest to Troyka’s approach and is none the worse for that. Impressive stuff.

Harrison’s “The City From The Window” is a highly descriptive piece of writing that builds slowly from a gentle solo guitar introduction through lush,church inspired organ to an edgier effects laden guitar solo. Behind the drums Wallace reacts to these developments with empathy and aplomb, almost assuming the lead in the tunes closing stages as he roams around his kit underpinned by the swell of the Hammond.

Also by Harrison the spiky “The Subject” edges closer to vintage fusion with Stephen again adopting a rock influenced sound as organ and guitar trade sparky solos with Wallace again finishing strongly.

The drummer’s “Horizons” lowers the temperature initially with a near ballad that features expansive solos for guitar and organ plus his own receptive support before gaining momentum to include the now customary closing drum feature.

Wallace’s “Light/Tunnel” begins impressionistically before quickly evolving into an odd meter groover with Stephen adopting a choked, rock influenced sound on an urgent but remarkably fluent solo. The more rounded tones of Harrison’s Hammond offer a good counterpoint and Wallace himself again features strongly, particularly in the closing stages.

The ten minute “Thirst”, also written by Wallace is something an epic and owes something to the structure of prog rock. Tricky, gutsy unison passages alternate with fiery solos and more impressionistic, sci fi interludes.

Stephen takes up the compositional reins again for the closing “Roon Toon”, a futuristic tour of a city that I assume represents the group’s Edinburgh base. It’s a spiky, edgy depiction of a city after dark with sheets of rock influenced guitar noise, monstrously Gothic organ and suitably powerful drumming.

In the main Breach’s updating of the classic organ trio works remarkably well, applying rock power
and contemporary jazz sophistication in roughly equal measure. By and large the group avoid all the old organ trio clichés to come up with something fresh and dynamic. There’s a high degree of interaction between the three musicians and the writing is colourful, full of interesting and intelligent ideas and is often highly descriptive. Breach’s sense of adventure is to be applauded and I would imagine that they make a pretty exciting live proposition. 

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