CATALYST
Acoustic Triangle
Reviews
Review of Catalyst by Dave Davies in HiFi Plus
HiFi Plus (issue 33)
This is the second release from the trio and was recorded, like their
first album Interactions, at St. George's in Bristol. Blending melodic
jazz with contemporary classical styles, Acoustic Triangle has carved a
unique niche for itself. Malcolm Creese (bass) and Tim Garland (sax),
are joined on piano by new member Gwilym Simcock. Featuring numbers from
Simcock and Garland, the set also includes pieces from Kenny Wheeler,
John Taylor, and Cole Porter. The opening number In A Wondrous Place
provides a gentle introduction with Garland's fluid soprano sax lines
underpinned by Simcock's delicate and responsive playing. Garland's
Beyond The City The Stars is a darker-toned piece written in a rondo
form - very much in the classical tradition. Creese has an opportunity
to shine in this and delivers a fine solo. It quickly becomes apparent
that this set is not only an outstanding example of virtuoso
musicianship, but a well-judged collection offering overall unity yet
allowing each track a distinctive atmosphere. Just take the achingly
delicate soprano on Rosa Ballerina and set it against the jaunty,
angular piano driving Coffee Time. My favourite, and perhaps the most
distinctively classical influenced of the set, is Simcock's three part
Sea Suite. This set is beautifully recorded, capturing the spacious
acoustic of St. George's and the distinctive tones of each instrument.
Review of Catalyst by Dave Gelly in THE OBSERVER
20TH February 2004 (excerpt)
CD OF THE WEEK:
Acoustic Triangle - Catalyst (Audio-B - ABCD 5015)
"Founder and leader Malcolm Creese neatly describes Acoustic Triangle's
music as: 'melodic acoustic jazz with European classical influences'.
Saxophonist Tim Garland combines playing and writing for this group with
working with Chick Corea and his own Dean Street Underground Orchestra.
The new member of the trio is the remarkable Gwilym Simcock. This
22-year-old pianist is exceptional, as both player and composer. His
three-part Sea Suite is the high point of the programme.
Together they make the most beautiful sound, so spacious and melting
that you just let it float around you and feel better for the
experience. But there is so much to listen to in the lyrical lines and
subtle harmonies that it will inevitably draw you in."
Dave Gelly
Review of Catalyst in MUSICIAN Magazine
Spring 2004
Malcolm Creese's commitment and progress as a leader is evidenced in
this album. A virtuoso bassist and record producer of multitudinous
talents, Creese is at his musical best here, as both an accompanist and
distinctive soloist. Acoustic Triangle is an ever so appropriate name as
the delicate and even balance of this triumvirate is in evidence
throughout.
Tim Garland, one of the premiere saxophonists in the UK today, is
refreshing in his singular approach to the horn. He possesses a
prodigious technique which he uses in an original and musical fashion.
The sublime ferocity of his soprano and tenor are offset by his
brooding, circular bass clarinet on his composition Beyond The City -
The Stars.
Pianist Gwilym Simcock's distinctive compositions feature widely, as
does his interplay with Malcolm Creese - hearkening memories of the
interplay between Bill Evans and Scott LaFaro. Songs by Kenny Wheeler
and John Taylor fit in nicely with this collection, along with Porter's
All Of You, which strangely doesn't seem to belong to this otherwise
exemplary CD.
Frank Griffiths
Review of Catalyst by John Kelman
(Review also appears on:
jazzviews.co.uk and
jazzreview.com)
It is a rare thing to find a group that has created its own harmonic
language. Oregon is one such group; no matter what they play, no matter
what the instrumentation, they are instantly recognizable due to the
unique way they voice their harmonies, and to the way they place the
instruments. Acoustic Triangle, with their sophomore effort Catalyst,
are clearly in the same category. They are creating a standard of
language that differentiates them from other groups in the chamber jazz
category, and is defining them as one of the best.
Their first CD, the award-winning Interactions, was all about how
the three musicians, bassist Malcolm Creese, reedman Tim Garland and
pianist John Horler, interacted musically with the material. It is
likely that the title of the new record, Catalyst, refers to the
profound impact that Gwilym Simcock, who replaces Horler, has had on the
overall group sound. As rich, warm and inviting as the first disk, but
with a stronger tendency to the abstract, Simcock, in both his playing
and his formidable writing, has pushed the group into forging a stronger
identity. This is heady yet immensely engaging stuff, the perfect
confluence of intellect and emotion, thoughtfulness and abandon.
That Tim Garland's writing and playing continues to grow in leaps
and bounds should be no surprise to anyone who has followed his somewhat
meteoric rise in the British and international jazz scenes over the past
few years. He continues to experiment with extended compositional forms;
his nine-minute piece, "Beyond the City" is but one of the many
highlights on this disk. This track covers a lot of territory: from
quiet unison work; to individual solo excursions from each member of the
trio; to segueing passages that blur the line between composition and
improvisation. It is also a showpiece for Garland's stellar bass
clarinet work, although he tends to favour the soprano saxophone for the
majority of the album.
Simcock contributes four pieces to the album, including another
highlight, the three-movement "Sea Suite". Like Garland, he opts for
extended form, eschewing the theme-solo-theme format so prevalent in
much of today's jazz. Swaying between subtle introspection and
extroverted bursts of rhythm, Simcock is the perfect foil for Garland's
soaring soprano; deft and nimble, he is a young artist from whom more
will most certainly be heard.
Leader Creese tends to stay in the background for the most part,
providing firm support throughout, although he is clearly capable of
confident and lyrical soloing. Creese's tone is round and soft; his Arco
work at the end of "Sea Suite" is nothing short of perfect. He is placed
front and centre for the group's reading of Kenny Wheeler's "Heyoke".
This track demonstrates the beautiful unpredictability of the trio; one
never knows exactly where it will take a piece, in this case the serene
introduction barely foreshadows the bright and outgoing climax it builds
to, before settling back down for the final theme.
Acoustic Triangle has a philosophy that dictates that there is no
amplification of instruments in concert; they look, instead, for rooms
with excellent acoustics and fine grand pianos. In recording they avoid
use of outboard gear to process the sound; the room, then, becomes
almost a fourth member of the group. Like Interactions, Catalyst was
recorded at St. George's in Bristol, UK, and the rich sound of the room
provides a natural reverb that no electronic gear can duplicate.
Garland's saxophone, in particular, is enhanced by the sound of the
hall.
Like their first disk, Catalyst is also being released as a hybrid
SACD disk, so that listeners can either hear an exceptional sounding CD
stereo mix, or SACD stereo or 5.1 surround mixes if they have the
appropriate equipment. The attention to every detail, from the depth of
the compositions; to the placement of the instruments; to an
instrumental virtuosity that never loses sight of the material; to the
sound of the recording, make Catalyst an early frontrunner for one of
the best CDs of 2004.
Reviewed by John Kelman
Review of Catalyst from Jazz at Ronnie Scott's
Issue 147 (March - April 2004)
ACOUSTIC TRIANGLE is the brainchild of bassist Malcolm Creese, formed in 2000 to play,
unamplified, compositions that combine his two great passions: modern
jazz and classical music.
Catalyst (Audio-B, ABCD 5015) features Tim
Garland (tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet) and pianist Gwilym
Simcock alongside Creese, and mixes their compositions with material by
John Taylor and Kenny Wheeler as well as visiting 'All of You' by Cole
Porter. The band's sound is assured and elegant, thoughtful yet
surprisingly robust where necessary, and the balance between skilfully
composed and imaginatively improvised elements is beautifully maintained
throughout.
Chris Parker
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