Nat Birchall

“World Without Form”

(Sound Soul And Spirit NB002)

“World Without Form” represents Manchester based saxophonist and composer Nat Birchall’s fifth album release as a leader and the first on his own Sound Soul And Spirit label. Birchall’s first album, “The Sixth Sense” dates back to 1999 but it was in the late 00’s that his talent as a composer really began to blossom with a string of fine releases on trumpeter and fellow Mancunian Matthew Halsall’s Gondwana label these being Akhenatan (2009), Guiding Spirit (2010) and “Sacred Dimension” (2011). As these titles suggest there is a strong spiritual element to Birchall’s often modal music that has its roots in the “spiritual jazz” of John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders. There’s a unity of sound and purpose about Birchall’s Gondwana albums, each one representing a refining of the saxophonist’s musical philosophy. Halsall’s own albums, on which Birchall is a frequent collaborator, explore similar territory and it’s probably fair to say that the pair have developed a recognisable “Gondwana” label sound, one which updates the ideas of the Coltranes and Sanders for a twenty first century audience by giving them an agreeable contemporary twist (Halsall is also an acclaimed DJ and remix artist).

“World Without Form”, released in November 2012, is a natural continuation of his work for Gondwana and features several of the musicians who appeared on “Sacred Dimension” among them long term collaborator Adam Fairhall (piano), bassist Nick Blacka and vibes player Corey Mwamba who also contributes bells and shakers. There’s an even greater emphasis on percussion and rhythm on this album, a process that began on “Sacred Dimension”, with the great Paul Hession, a musician best known as a free jazz player, coming in on drums and with Birchall also adding tambourines, bells and shakers to his armoury. A number of pieces feature an extended line up with two basses and two drummers/percussionists, the extra instrumentation coming courtesy of bassist Jon Thorne and “Sacred Dimension” drummer Andy Hay.

A programme of seven Birchall originals begins with the title track, appropriately a tune that Birchall describes as being ” about beginnings, the point from which creation arises. The core quintet of Birchall, Fairhall, Mwamba, Blacka and Hession is supplemented by Hay on a piece that immediately taps into the Coltrane spiritual aesthetic courtesy of Birchall’s declamatory tenor, the rumble of drums and piano and the shimmer of percussion. It’s more freely structured and less obviously modal than much of Birchall’s previous output making Hession the ideal choice for this type of material. Fairhall’s piano solo is particularly distinctive and inventive, bookended between two powerful statements from Birchall’s tenor.

“The Black Ark” is named after legendary reggae producer/sound artist Lee “Scratch” Perry’s studio in Jamaica and reflects the adolescent Birchall’s absorption in the worlds of reggae and dub. The piece features the extended seven piece line up and despite the fact that the music still sounds more like Coltrane than reggae it is intended to honour the way in which Perry would incorporate many different instruments into the mix but without the arrangements ever sounding cluttered. In this respect Birchall succeeds brilliantly, his tenor scything a path through the rhythmic undergrowth. We also get to enjoy Mwamba’s first vibes solo, his sound bell like but fiercely percussive. Fairhall is again in inspired form as he dives into another feverishly inventive solo. The piece ends with the sound of the two bassists working in tandem.

Following the intensity and inventiveness of the opening two numbers “Dream Of Eden” slows the momentum but there’s still a smouldering quality about the playing of Birchall and Fairhall on what is essentially a ballad. Blacka impresses on an extended bass feature and Birchall delivers some of his most beautiful playing of the album on his second tenor statement.

There’s some more lovely work from Birchall on “Divine Harmony”, the second of three outing for the full septet. Birchall’s tenor probes deeply on a title that reflects on the relationship between music and the workings of the universe. Mwamba’s vibes solo seem to float in space subtly underpinned by the percussive work of Hay and Hession and there’s a similar ethereal quality to Fairhall’s pianistic meanderings. 

The title “Speak To Us Of Love” is a quote from the Lebanese born author, poet and artist Khalil Gibran and features the core quintet with extra percussive input from Hay. The piece is a tour de force for Birchall who adds a subtle Middle Eastern inflection to his familiar Coltrane inspired sound. Fairhall is at his most lyrical on a flowing solo while Mwamba’s adopts a softer sound on the vibes, his contribution charming with its fluency.

The final septet piece “Return To Ithaca” was inspired by the writings of Homer. It begins dramatically and is a richly textured musical odyssey featuring Birchall on wonderfully serpentine soprano sax and some captivating interplay between Mwamba and Fairhall. The rhythms here are among the most dense and exotic to be found on the album with the twinned bass and drum teams making substantial contributions.

The closing “Principle Of Beauty” features the core quintet, the title reflecting the search for truth and beauty that lies at the heart of all of Birchall’s music. The leader is back on tenor, sounding as soulful as ever as he soars above Hession’s fluid rhythmic backdrop. Mwamba and Fairhall again make telling contributions, both impress throughout the album particularly the pianist who is frequently in inspirational form.

“World Without Form” sees Birchall pushing yet further into the realms of “spiritual jazz”, mirroring in part the journey taken by his major inspiration John Coltrane. In the main the tunes on this album are more freely structured and open ended than on his previous releases with greater scope allowed for improvisation. As alluded to previously Hession is the perfect drummer for this musical situation and his playing is excellent throughout.

Birchall describes his music as being “very simple, harmonically and melodically, so you have to play with with as much conviction and soul as possible because there’s nothing to hide behind, just the truth of how you feel the music”. Birchall certainly plays with conviction and soul and he also has a band with the chops and intelligence to put substantial meat on the bones of his compositions. It’s a fascinating album that repays repeated listening. I’m looking forward to seeing the core quintet perform this music at the Queens Head in Monmouth on Thursday 11th April 2013. Visit http://www.natbirchall.com for full details of this and other live events.

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