Surman at Birdland

There is something pleasantly unassuming about John Surman’s stage demeanor, which is a bit of contrast to the conspicuously large baritone saxophone he has mastered. Now a resident of Norway, the British jazz musician does not tour America that often, so his engagement at Birdland is a welcome opportunity to hear Surman and his quartet. It is quite a quartet too, including Surman’s prominent ECM labelmates, guitarist John Abercrombie and drummer Jack DeJohnette.

Logically, Surman and company played many tunes from the Brewster’s Rooster, Surman’s recently released CD recorded with the same personnel. Rounding out the quartet is bassist Drew Gress, also an accomplished musician, who made his ECM recording debut on Brewster. In live performance, you can really hear how well the rhythm section locks in, propelling the music with their steady groove. Surman clearly enjoyed both their musical support and their company, frequently kidding Abercrombie about a recent review that described him as “harmonically restless.” (It was intended as a compliment.)

As on Brewster, Surman the consummate baritone saxophonist, also mixed in some soprano, playing the small horn on three tunes during Thursday’s first set. Indeed, Surman has a beautiful sound on the soprano, which contrasts nicely with his powerful baritone voice. His live rendition of the soprano feature “Slanted Sky” was somewhat more up-tempo and jazz club friendly than the Brewster take, while “Counter Measures” had a similarly spritely vibe, making it an effective set closer. Again, Surman amply demonstrated his remarkable facility for bop lines on the demanding bari with brisk swingers like “Hilltop Dancer.”

Despite the fact that all four members of the Surman Quartet are comfortable with adventurous musical challenges, their Birdland set was very much a swinging affair that had the near capacity crowd cheering with enthusiasm. It is a treat to hear musicians of their caliber stretch out on Surman’s invigorating compositions and it is a relative bargain to hear three major jazz figures for the price of one. They are a great live band, highly recommended to all jazz listeners, especially those who love that rich bari sound. The Surman Quartet plays through Saturday night at Birdland, while Surman’s Brewster is now available on ECM Records. (Also note, Abercrombie will return to Birdland with his own group, including violinist Mark Feldman, at the end of the month to celebrate the release of his latest ECM CD, Wait Till You See Her.)

John Surman: Brewster’s Rooster

Brewster’s Rooster
By John Surman
ECM Records 2046

British jazz multi-instrumentalist John Surman has pretty much done it all. Early in his career he performed with British blues rocker Alex Korner (as did a fellow named Jagger). He would quickly become one of Britain’s top jazz artists, displaying a thirst for new challenges, including collaborations with traditional Middle Eastern musician Anouar Brahem, modal-avant-garde experiments with his own groups, and composing for Carolyn Carlson’s dance troupe while they were in residence at the Paris Opera. All the while, he maintained his stature as one of jazz’s preeminent baritone saxophonists. Now Surman further enhances that reputation with his latest recording, Brewster’s Rooster.

In an occasional change-up Surman (the great baritonist) also throws a little soprano sax into the mix on two tracks, giving the set a very pleasing contrast of sounds. The first instance is actually the opening “Slanted Sky,” which is light and airy, yet thoughtfully meditative. It is also an excellent example of the finely tuned rapport within the quartet, resulting from the frequent pairings of Surman, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and guitarist John Abercrombie in various configurations and groups, often recorded on the ECM label. Rounding out the quartet is bassist Drew Gress, whose credits include the likes of Fred Hersh, Ravi Coltrane, and even Phyllis Diller (a gig’s a gig, after all).

The following “Hilltop Dancer” is a catchy, slightly Latin workout that amply displays Surman’s facility on the baritone, which for many is an unforgiving horn at brisker tempos. While “No Finesse” (which seems inappropriately named) starts at a more relaxed pace, it swings forcefully, building nicely into eloquent solos from the leader and Abercrombie.

As Brewster’s single traditional standard, Billy Strayhorn’s “Chelsea Bridge” is the kind of lush, languid vehicle often chosen to showcase the baritone. With his sensitive but commanding interpretation, Surman demonstrates a mastery of the language of the jazz ballad. It is followed by the relatively abstract “Haywain” and then a palette-cleansing return to the soprano with the spritely swinger “Counter Measures.” The quartet closes out with the surprisingly groovy title track, propelled by DeJohnette’s funky backbeat rhythm, and the emphatically boppish closer, “Going for a Burton.”

Truly, Brewster is about as jazz as jazz gets. It is a well-balanced program, featuring some sparkling original compositions from Surman and inspired playing by the entire quartet. Those on the East Coast will soon have an opportunity to hear the Surman Quartet live. They begin a three night engagement in Washington D.C. at Blues Alley tonight (8/27), and will play New York’s Birdland next Tuesday (9/1) through Saturday (9/5).

The Spaces In Between

The Spaces In Between
By John Surman
ECM 1956

There is a long tradition of jazz and classical double threats, stretching back to Benny Goodman, who was never known to be intimidated by a clarinet concerto. Coming from a diverse jazz background, including jazz-rock and adventurous big band sessions, John Surman has also composed for classical idioms as well, including his latest collaboration with the Trans4mation string quartet, The Spaces In Between.

The final selection of Spaces, “Leaving the Harrow,” illuminates the pastoral spirit of the session best. Surman describes the inspiration for the composition, a local pub named the Harrow in rural Kent. According to Surman: “the idea for the piece came from leaving there—possibly buoyed up with a couple pints of best bitter—walking home on a beautiful evening in harvest time and the harvest moon was enormous.”

It starts with more of a nocturne, “Moonlighter,” appropriately featuring Surman’s baritone cradled by the string arrangement. There is a distinctly and traditionally English flavor to many of Surman’s compositions, as in “Wayfarers All,” which gives a darker hue to the strings before Surman comes in on Soprano.

Spaces is tightly arranged, but there is some, well, space for individual expression. While there is not a traditional rhythm section, Surman enlisted the talents of bassist Chris Laurence, proficient in both jazz and classical idioms, to maintain a propulsive element and lend his jazz sensibilities to the endeavor.

The title composition is an unaccompanied solo feature for violinist Rita Manning, coming appropriately at the midpoint of Spaces. An austere, challenging piece that does indeed make use of space, “In Between” is the longest composition of the session. It is followed by he shortest, “Now See!,” a spritely English jig of a miniature.

“Mimosa” is the only expression of Surman’s exploration of Eastern music. Originally written for, but not recorded by, his “Thimar” combo, it still gets a nocturnal vibe from Surman’s baritone but the rhythmic arrangement for the strings suggests someplace east of Kent. Spaces concludes with “Leaving the Harrow,” a contemplative vehicle, again for baritone.

Throughout Spaces, Surman’s reeds integrate remarkably well with the strings. The lush combination of baritone and strings is a particularly warm sound that makes one wonder why bari features have not been more popular in classical music. Its unhurried thoughtfulness conveys the pastoral experience to its listeners quite effectively.