Avalon Trio

“Forlana”

(Marquetry Records MR936)

The Avalon Trio is a chamber jazz trio that uses the music of twentieth century English classical composers as the cornerstone of their improvisations. The trio have a shared fascination for the harmonic connections between the music of their chosen composers (Frederick Delius, Gerald Finzi and Ralph Vaughan Williams) and contemporary jazz. As the album’s liner notes state “the short song forms of Delius and Finzi lend themselves particularly well to improvisation, just as the standards of the American song book that have been used by jazz musicians since the 1930’s”.

At first glance one might suspect “Forlana” of being some kind of tepid jazz/classical crossover but make no mistake this is emphatically a jazz album. Pete Churchill (piano), Tony Woods (reeds) and Rob Millett (percussion) are all heavy duty improvisers. Woods and Millett are both members of the saxophonist’s own Tony Woods Project, a group that draws considerable inspiration from folk and world music forms (reviews of the album “Wind Shadows” plus a live performance in Cardiff are reviewed elsewhere on this site). Similarly “Forlana” has a strong folk strand with the trio extemporising on Delius’ arrangement of the traditional folk song “Brigg Fair” and with Finzi and Vaughan Williams having also drawn inspiration from the English Folk Revival instigated by figures such as Cecil Sharp and Percy Grainger both of whom receive a mention in the album’s liner notes.

The programme commences with Delius’ “Summer Night On The Water”, the arrangement paced by Churchill’s thoughtful piano work as Woods’ saxophone pushes and probes, initially gently, later less so. Millett’s percussion alternates between the shimmeringly ethereal and the subtly propulsive.
Delius’ melody is beautiful and inescapably folk tinged but the skills of the trio turn the piece into an excellent jazz performance.

I alluded previously to the world music influences to be heard in the sound of the Tony Woods Project. These elements are directly referenced on the trio’s arrangement of Finzi’s “Forlana” from his “Five Bagatelles for clarinet and piano” as the music is beautifully transposed to incorporate Woods’ Indian Bansuri wood flute and Millett’s tabla drums. Woods deploys soprano saxophone too, soloing effectively above Millett’s rich tabla undertow. Churchill again acts as the fulcrum, holding things together unobtrusively from the piano and exchanging phrases with Woods.

Millett’s tablas also feature on the trio’s adaptation of Delius’ setting of the traditional English folk song “Brigg Fair”, a piece that features surprisingly full blooded solos from both Churchill and Woods plus a colourful percussion feature from Millett, the latter played largely with the hands I’d say.

Besides the re-workings of the classical pieces the album also includes a couple of pieces from the pen of pianist Pete Churchill. Clocking in at the nine and a half minute mark “A Dream Of Thee” is commendably ambitious and possesses a strong narrative arc. Woods’ keening saxophone tone is not a million miles away from Jan Garbarek and his ruminations are underpinned by Millett’s tablas and the composer’s piano. With no bass in the line up Churchill is called upon to perform an important rhythmic role and does so in assured but unobtrusive fashion.

Finzi’s “Dead in the Cold” is both stately and moving with a touch of the underlying sadness inherent in the title. Vaughan Williams’ “Linden Lea” begins in similarly courtly fashion but things subsequently take off with Churchill’s rousing piano solo which borrows from the “country blues” stylings of early Keith Jarrett. Woods maintains the momentum with his subsequent sax offering before the piece comes full circle to finish in the same pastoral vein that it began.

As other reviewers have remarked the trio’s version of Finzi’s “Eclogue” is one of the album’s stand out tracks. The composer’s simple but beautiful melody is well served both by the lyricism of Churchill’s solo piano introduction and also by Woods’ soaring saxophone interjections with Millett providing suitably sympathetic colour and punctuation.

The album closes with another Churchill original, “Last Love” that progresses through a number of distinct stages during it’s ten and a half minute duration. Although more conventionally “jazz” than the rest of the record it still fits in well with the rest of the album. Woods contributes some particularly fiery playing here above an insistent piano and percussion undertow and there is also a feature for Millett, who this time roams his percussive set up with the sticks. I would guess that this more dynamically focused number also closes the trio’s live shows.

“Forlana” is an impressive piece of chamber jazz that impresses with its arrangements, playing and production values. There’s plenty of improvisation here for jazz fans to get their teeth into and the trio’s live dates, there are a couple coming up in September at Ascot (8th) and Derby (9th), should be well worth seeing.   

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