Winner of the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Media, 2019

by Ian Mann

April 02, 2009

/ ALBUM

"A genuine musical conversation at the more melodic end of the free improv spectrum

“Spark” has been out for some time, 2001 to be precise, but alto saxophonist Martin Speake was kind enough to give me a copy for review purposes when we spoke after his recent performance at Abergavenny with his Generations quartet.(Reviewed elsewhere on this site). 

Since coming to prominence in the late 80’s with the acclaimed Itchy Fingers saxophone quartet Speake has worked consistently and convincingly in a number of contexts. He has explored jazz standards and originals, world music,free improvisation as here and several points in between.

Currently he divides his time between the Generations group- with pianist Barry Green, drummer Jeff Williams and bassist Dave Green (no relation), the latter sometimes replaced by Sam Lasserson for live performances- and his International group with Williams, the great Swedish pianist Bobo Stenson and bassist Steve Watts. The International group have recorded an excellent album “Change Of Heart” for Manfred Eicher’s ECM label and have also toured extensively. Martin tells me he now has enough material for a follow up album. Let’s hope Mr. Eicher gives him the green light.

The “Spark” duo with drummer Mark Sanders is considerably different to Speake’s ongoing projects. The pair went into the studio and played these nine improvisations straight off, with no prior discussion or preparation. There was some familiarity between the musicians as Sanders had previously been a member of Speake’s more orthodox groups but nonetheless the fully improvised route presented a considerable challenge. As a veteran of some seventy five plus mainly improv recordings Sanders is a master of his field and his playing contributes enormously towards the success of the project. 

Speake has said that his own playing style remains constant,it is only the context in which he finds himself that alters and certainly he is an unfailingly melodic improviser, even in this exposed setting. Speake originally came to the alto after hearing Ornette Coleman but his thoughtful approach and innate tunefulness have drawn comparisons with the great Lee Konitz.

Certainly “Spark” is at the more melodic end of the free improv spectrum. Speake dedicates the album to Derek Bailey and Elton Dean but the music here is less abstract and less consciously cerebral than that of those two great improvisers. Neither do Speake and Sanders bludgeon their listeners in the style of, say, Peter Brotzmann.

Instead “Spark” is a genuine musical conversation between two equal partners. Sanders shadows Speake’s lines with wholly apposite colour and shading and provides just the right amount of propulsion and swing. In the main he derives his sounds and colours from the conventional drum kit. There is no over reliance on exotic percussion and novelty effects and at no point does he allow himself to overwhelm the saxophonist. The courtesy is duly returned, this is a wholly equitable partnership.

The opening title track strikes an immediate balance between abstraction and melody which the duo retain throughout the entire album. The dark timbres of the pensive “It’s Just A Ride” give way to the more garrulous, Coleman influenced “Matter (Energy Vibrating)” but at no point do the duo abandon their melodic sensibility.

“Acrobat”,“Longbeat” and “Cookie Cutter” are more openly exploratory, the former making full use of dynamics and almost fading away into nothingness. All retain a genuine conversational quality and an acceptable degree of accessibility. “Cookie Cutter” contains a lengthy solo passage from Sanders that continues to hold the listener’s attention.

“The Truth Machine” sees Speake sketching out a beautiful melody accompanied by Sanders’ beautifully detailed percussion. “Wild Card” represents the albums most wilfully playful moment and “So Long” is an appropriate valedictory with Speake’s pure toned alto shadowed by Sanders’ delicate brushwork.

“Spark” is not Martin Speake’s most accessible album, that accolade would probably have to go to the magnificent “Change Of Heart” but it is a rewarding listen for anybody who is a fan of his playing. 

It also represents a relatively accessible “toe in the water” for anyone thinking of dipping into the sometimes scary pool of free improv for the first time. Speake and Sanders’ inherent melodic sense gives the album a sense of coherence that should appeal to first time listeners of this frequently challenging genre.

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