Eyes Shut Tight

“The Thaw”

This self released album by the bass led piano trio Eyes Shut Tight represents the follow up to their (very good) 2010 album “Evolution” (review elsewhere on this site). The group are led by bassist and composer Paul Baxter and also feature pianist Johnny Tomlinson (also of the band If Destroyed Still True) and drummer Kristoffer Wright, both graduates of the jazz course at Leeds College of Music.

Baxter was also a member of the Leeds based Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra when I saw give an excellent performance at the 2011 Mostly Jazz Festival in Birmingham. However he now appears to have moved to London and although Eyes Shut Tight are still fully operative it may be that he has loosened his ties with regard to other aspects of the Yorkshire jazz scene. For all this “The Thaw” was recorded in Leeds and it’s eight selections again feature the compositions of Baxter exclusively.

With a bassist leading the band it’s perhaps not surprising that the music has a strong rhythmic drive that has evoked comparisons with E.S.T., The Bad Plus, Phronesis, Neil Cowley Trio etc. However “The Thaw” expands on the group’s début by adding other timbres and textures including Baxter’s use of the bow and Tomlinson’s deployment of church organ on the closing tune “Hymn”. However there is still plenty of cut and thrust about the trio’s music and energy levels are generally high with plenty of interaction between the players. Baxter has said that the group’s name is inspired by their “intuitive group dynamic” and once again there’s plenty of that in evidence here. I was disappointed to miss out on seeing the trio on their recent (January 2012) UK tour but wintry conditions dissuaded me from travelling to their date at Dempsey’s in Cardiff. Cardiff jazz stalwart Roger Warburton later informed me that the group had been very impressive with plenty of creative energy allied to an impish musical sense of humour. Wish I’d been there.

In the meantime there’s always this new album to enjoy kicking off with the spirited stop/start grooves of the opening “Mr. C”. This is a wide ranging piece that veers between delicate lyricism and full on grooving. It is an example of contemporary piano jazz at it’s best, constantly evolving and full of surprises. As the group name implies there is a high level of understanding and intuition between the players with Baxter’s closing bass solo a particular highlight.

The title track is similarly kaleidoscopic and intensely rhythmic with Tomlinson and Baxter improvising around urgent, insistent rhythmic configurations, the pianist’s role often alternating between melodic and rhythmic functions.

“Forethought”, introduced by the leader’s deeply resonant bass lowers the temperature with Tomlinson’s Jarrett like piano eventually emerging out of the gloom. Baxter cites Jarrett’s trio with bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Paul Motian as a primary influence alongside the the more contemporary work of E.S.T. and Israeli bassist and composer Avishai Cohen. There’s certainly some evidence of this on yet another winning original Baxter composition. 

“Bisbo” begins with a lovely piano/double bass duet before Wright strikes up an insistent brushed groove for his colleagues to improvise around. In true Eyes Shut Tight manner the music doesn’t stay still for long as the group stretch out, varying the dynamics but always maintaining a strong and varied rhythmic pulse and with Baxter’s bass frequently assuming the lead. He’s a monster player with a huge tone, great dexterity and a highly developed melodic sense in his solos.

Despite the jokey title “A Touch Of The Charlies” turns out to be an affecting slow ballad featuring Baxter’s deeply woody bass above Tomlinson’s sparse piano chording and Wright’s delicately detailed drum accompaniment. Tomlinson subsequently expands his contribution with some of his most lyrical playing of the set.

The leader’s bass ushers in “Exit Train”, initially another insistently rhythmic piece as the title might suggest. As ever with this trio’s music things aren’t that straightforward as the piece is punctuated by more impressionistic episodes among bursts of odd meter grooves. There’s a burst of laughter at the end of the take, evidence perhaps of the group’s sense of humour in action. “Afterthought” then slinks insidiously into the listener’s consciousness with it’s gently undulating melody lines and subtle grooves.

The closing “Hymn” features Tomlinson on both piano and church organ, the latter apparently recorded on location, and sounds much as one would expect with the quiet bustle of Wright’s drums underpinning the keyboardist’s work.

The album also offers an untitled bonus track which provides a showcase for Baxter’s arco bass skills. His deeply sonorous bowing is featured alongside the violins of Martin Couzin and Adam Robinson. The result is a delightfully melodic piece that sits somewhere in the hinterland between folk and the classical string quartet with just a hint of jazz in the closing stages as Baxter puts down the bow. It’s a very welcome addition but should perhaps constitute part of the album proper. It would be a shame to think of anyone missing out on this.

“The Thaw” is a very worthy follow up to “Evolution” and a good showcase for Baxter’s writing and playing skills. His constantly evolving compositions sustain the interest of the listener and his playing is superb throughout with Baxter allowing himself plenty of solo space. Having said that his interaction with his two younger colleagues is excellent and Tomlinson and Wright once again give evidence that both are fine musicians in their own right. They need to be given the complexities of Baxter’s compositional output and both acquit themselves admirably. 

There are a lot of piano trios around but Eyes Shut Tight deserve to be rated right up there amongst the best of them.

     

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