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Review

Ivo Neame

Strata

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by Ian Mann

June 23, 2015

/ ALBUM

Colour, variety and musical depth allied so some brilliant playing. It's an album that deserves to establish Ivo Neame as a significant jazz force in his own right.

Ivo Neame

“Strata”

(Whirlwind Recordings WR4674)

Pianist and composer Ivo Neame has been a frequent presence on the Jazzmann web pages since 2008 and the release of his début album “Swirls And Eddies”, a trio set on the Loop Collective’s own record label. To most jazz listeners he is probably best known as the pianist of the phenomenally successful Phronesis, the all conquering trio led by Danish bassist and composer Jasper Hoiby.

Neame also plays a key role in Kairos 4tet, the group led by saxophonist and composer Adam Waldmann. Other projects with which he has been involved have included ensembles led by trumpeters Andre Canniere and Rory Simmons, saxophonists Marius Neset, Josh Arcoleo, Julian Arguelles and Trish Clowes, bassists Dave Manington and Mick Coady, guitarist Ant Law, drummer Dave Hamblett and vocalists Brigitte Beraha, Kaz Simmons and Elisa Caleb . Also an accomplished saxophonist he even appeared on alto sax with vibraphonist Jim Hart’s band Gemini.

Somewhere between all his other commitments Neame continues to find the time to lead his own projects and has released two excellent solo albums on Edition records, “Caught In The Light Of Day”, a strong quartet set from 2009 and the ambitious but brilliant “Yatra”, an octet recording released in 2012. Neame’s own writing is very different from the groove based sounds of Phronesis or the melodic lyricism of Kairos 4tet. Both of the Edition solo albums presented a complex, busy compositional style informed by classical music and just bursting with ideas. Neame’s own music is more complex and analytical than that of either Phronesis or Kairos but there is still much to delight the serious listener, “Yatra” in particular is simply a stunning record.

For his latest album “Strata”, Neame has turned to his regular working quintet, most of whom also appeared on “Yatra”. Long term associate Jim Hart is on vibes alongside Tori Freestone on tenor sax and flute and Dave Hamblett at the drums. Bass duties are shared between Tom Farmer and Andrea Di Biase.  The album sees a move to Michael Janisch’s Whirlwind Recordings label and features a set of eight entirely new Neame compositions that have been honed and developed by the leader and his group over a two year period.

Neame’s unaccompanied piano introduces the opening piece “Personality Clash”, which quickly   adds layers with the introduction of vibes,sax, bass and drums. Freestone’s tenor is a melodic presence throughout, cutting a swathe through the rhythmic ferment bubbling beneath. Neame takes the first solo on piano, a swashbuckling affair supported by a particularly rapid bass walk and the bustle of Hamblett’s drums. Hart takes over on vibes for a thrilling solo, doubtless deploying a four mallet technique. At the quintet’s live shows Hart is a compelling presence, dazzling audiences with his skill and virtuosity. Freeman’s solo is muscular and forceful but still intrinsically melodic. It’s an energetic, attention grabbing start, great stuff .

“Strata” is an apt title for an Ivo Neame album given the way he likes to layer his compositions. After the frenetic opening the title track is more impressionistic and features Neame doubling up on synthesisers. Freestone’s tenor sounds almost Scandinavian at times (think Neset, Garbarek or Brunborg) and the overall quasi-orchestral feel of the piece has also prompted comparisons with Weather Report. But this is still essentially acoustic jazz as Neame’s expansive piano solo confirms .
Neame’s notes for the album state “This is an attempt to capture the sound of an ensemble playing really well and to create a unified set of pieces but with contrasting moods and styles from tune to tune so that the listener is engaged throughout”. On the evidence of the two opening pieces alone he and his quintet have succeeded brilliantly.

At nine and a half minutes “OCD Blues” is the lengthiest track on the album and builds slowly with Freestone’s blues tinged tenor first snaking around Hart’s insistent vibes motif and subsequently linking up with Neame’s piano and overdubbed accordion. Again there’s an almost orchestral quality about the way Neame and his colleagues develop the music. There’s an increase in impetus around three minutes in, a shift in gear which triggers a vigorous exchange of ideas between Neame on piano and Hart on vibes. This section subsequently breaks down leading to a more freely structured,  richly atmospheric episode featuring the eerie sound of bowed vibes prior to a more measured conclusion.

Despite the jokey title “Miss Piggy” is a delightful feature for Freestone’s tenor that has something of the pastoral, very English, post Loose Tubes style about it - think Django Bates, Iain Ballamy, Mark Lockheart.

The equally charming “Crise De Nerfs” is more energetic and features Freestone on breezy, effervescent flute plus a bravura vibes solo from Hart. But this is an Ivo Neame composition so there’s more to it than just that as the mood temporarily darkens mid tune before a spirited finish.

“Eastern Chant” is a superb trio piece with Neame in brilliant form at the piano, his soloing simultaneously expansive and lyrical. The more exposed setting also gives the listener the opportunity to fully appreciate the skills of Hamblett whose playing is busy but superbly nuanced throughout. The CD sleeve doesn’t clarify which bass player is on duty but I’ll assume that it’s Farmer who filled the bassist’s chair on Neame’s recent UK tour. He’s bang on the money too in a superb trio performance that wouldn’t be out of place on a Phronesis album.

“Folk Song” features Neame on both accordion and piano and Freestone on both flute and sax in a Balkan flavoured romp with a great deal more twists, turns and contrasts than the average folk tune!
It’s another example of the breadth of music to be heard on this exceptional album.

The programme finishes with “Snowfall”, an impressionistic piece of writing from the same mould as the title track. It develops in interesting ways, incorporating solos for bass (presumably Farmer), tenor sax and piano with Hart’s vibes sometimes providing an ethereal, shimmering backdrop. But it’s Neame’s own sensitive, yet continually inventive, piano playing that is at the core of the piece. 

I was lucky enough to see the quintet of Neame, Hart, Freestone, Hamblett and Farmer playing music from “Strata” plus a series of selected gems from Neame’s back catalogue at The Verdict in Brighton recently. We were spending a few days in Sussex, the break based around a family wedding, and I was determined to check out The Verdict after having heard so many good things about it. The venue operates every day as a successful café but also has an intimate basement performance space in which regular jazz events are held. With an excellent sound system plus its own grand piano it really is an excellent place to listen to jazz (it’s got real ale too!) and Neame and his colleagues were greeted by an enthusiastic and attentive full house for the first night of the “Strata” tour. I went as a “punter” but the show was very favourably reviewed by |Nick Hasted for Jazzwise Magazine http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com 

I can only concur with Nick’s sentiments and I have to say that I very much enjoyed my visit to The Verdict and hope to return again one day. In the meantime I wish the venue every success for the future, it certainly compares very favourably with the various London jazz clubs I have been lucky enough to visit in the last few years. Ivo was very surprised to see me turn up so far away from home I can tell you!

So a great night in Brighton and a great album too. Despite the smaller instrumental line up “Strata” more than matches “Yatra”  in terms of colour, variety and musical depth. It’s a record that deserves to establish Ivo Neame as a significant jazz force in his own right. 

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