Better known as one third of the highly-lauded progressive piano trio Trichotomy, pianist and composer Sean Foran steps away from the group whose cohesion and empathy saw them do now wrong over their 17 year history.. Bringing together a brand new ensemble of cutting edge British players, Foran releases his debut as a leader; 'Frame of Reference', a collection of original works for the inventive line up of piano/Rhodes, guitar, saxophone, cello and drums.
Frame of Reference moves away from the jagged, pulse-racing intensity of Trichotomy, but is no less fluent, tight or dramatic. Foran's desire to work with new musicians was, in part, a response to reaching for a more chamber jazz sound. Throughout the eight tracks, tempos shift with pieces building and swooping with Foran's playing both bright and dreamy. Together, the ensemble provides sharp interplay. Whilst their repeating melodies and the cello accompaniment at times provide an anthemic, cinematic touch - rhythmic and hypnotic - they maintain a clear melodic focus. Indeed, Foran's love of minimalist composers including Steve Reich, Phillip Glass and modern jazz masters such as Pat Metheny are evident in his compositions.
Foran's time in the UK, as a Masters student at the Leeds College of Music and later through numerous tours with Trichotomy, saw him to interact with a variety of the UK scene's vibrant players. So for this recording he was able to gather "players" he says "I really admire''- Julian Arguelles (sax), Stuart McCallum (guitar), Ben Davis (cello) and Joost Hendrickx (drums). Foran wrote each of the album's eight tracks specifically for the band, thinking about what each member offers both as a player and as a person. An immediate chemistry is evident in the ensemble who were assembled for the first time at the recording session.
"This project was something that I'd thought about for a while, and I wanted to write and record some music that featured a different lineup to the trio that I usually work with. It's more chamber based that my trio material, and also more textural. The saxophone, guitar and cello complement each other in a really interesting way and open the music up to so many possibilities for melodic and harmonic interactions. Most of all, there's space for everyone to improvise... it feels very open and melodic...I think there's a sense of optimism in the music, a sense of calm".
In touring the project within Australia Sean has assembled an equally stunning group of musicians, with a varied lineup for each show featuring John Parker (Drums), Sam Vincent (bass), Stephen Magnusson (guitar), Toby Wren (guitar), Ben Hauptmann (guitar), Jeremy Rose (saxophones) and Rafael Karlen (saxophones). The sensitivity of these players will create performances not to be missed.
Reviews
"…this album with its richly nuanced, multi faceted writing and highly skilled playing. There are some brilliant individual moments from all of the musicians involved but it's the overall balance and coherence of the ensemble in conjunction with Foran's intelligent and colourful writing that impresses most. "Frame of Reference" is one of the most consistently beautiful albums that I've heard all year, but there's genuine rigour and intelligence alongside the prettiness. Highly recommended."
4 1/2 Stars - Jazz Mann (see full review here)
credits
released September 2, 2016
Sean Foran - Piano & Rhodes
Julian Arguelles - Saxophones
Stuart McCallum - Fuitars
Ben Davis - Cello
Joost Hendrickx - Drums
________________________________________________
Recorded at Curtis Schwartz Studio (Ardingly UK)
Engineered by Chris Schwartz
Mixed by John Parker
Mastering by David S Gardner
Produced by Sean Foran and John Parker
CD Art Direction and Design by Paul Underwood
Photography by Isaac Marley Morgan
The very best in Australian Jazz CDs. Jazzhead was established to release great new Australian Jazz in its various forms by
Joe Camilleri and Andrew Walker. Concentrating on the progressive sounds of jazz while maintaining general accessibility.
From its inception, Jazzhead has pursued excellence in music and provided an outlet for great work of contemporary jazz....more
supported by 8 fans who also own “Frame of Reference”
Difficult to name a favourite track, however if I was forced to choose an all time favourite album this would certainly be up there at the top. I'm in the UK but it was a friend in South Africa that introduced me to Gondwana. Absolutely beautiful album from start to finish, amazing musicians and composition both. Thank you, it inspires me to become a better musician. rai scott
supported by 6 fans who also own “Frame of Reference”
I normally only listen to electronic music, but after listening to this album months ago I found it kept calling out to me. Now after purchasing it I can see why. I am totally addicted to its beauty and harmony. Thank you so much for the wax version, as it is the only form of music I collect. kaosskid
Vibrant, playful jazz in the chordless tradition from this new Australian quartet, who embrace both freedom and swing. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 9, 2021