Borderlands Trio
Wandersphere
Intakt
Dec 28, 2021 Web Exclusive
The collective skills of bassist Stephan Crump, pianist Kris Davis, and drummer Eric McPherson ensure that Borderlands Trio’s sophomore release is rich in both firm authoritativeness and freewheeling creativity, each note falling into place with a precision that feels simultaneously intricate and intrinsic to their collaborative process. Following 2017’s Asteroidea, Wandersphere sees the jazz threesome return to the natural world, haunted by ghosts inherent to nature’s church, as well as by those wandering about New York City in that most unfortunate year of 2020, during which the album was recorded. Across the span of four earthen improvisations, a rich atmosphere, heavy with shadows cast and dust settled, is effectively evoked through the Trio’s artful knack for crafting such quality music.
What sets Wandersphere apart from other contemporary jazz releases is its overhanging air of eerie mystique and subtle dread, which remains throughout like traces of dirt beneath one’s fingernails. The album’s organic chemistry calls to mind various natural textures—root and bark, rock and water crypts, sealing nature’s lush, green arcana, the audible whispers of which slither upward from beneath on opening movement “Super-Organism.” Here, the vision rolls along like naked shadows spilling across the landscape, swept with both wonder and delirium. Davis’ moody piano speaks volumes against McPherson’s expert shuffle and Crump’s throaty acoustic basslines. An epic amidst epics, “Super-Organism” clocks in at just over 30 minutes in length, although it is easy for one to forget exactly when it began or ended, as it casts a thick spell upon the sensitive listener.
Subsequently, “An Invitation to Disappear” removes itself entirely from the vast openness of its predecessor, embracing instead a far more claustrophobic atmosphere—the smallest closet in the most haunted of houses. Perhaps it is the sound of division, of disassociation and deconstruction, given to eventual dissolution. One disintegrates into oneself as Davis’ piano takes the forefront, fibers fading all around. Her major contributions to this particular track stand among the album’s top moments of exquisite musicianship. “Old-Growth,” Wandersphere’s longest cut, returns the narrative to the natural realm—back to the dirt and echo, low country air, and pale sunlight cascading through the boughs. Emotionally, it is a relief from the confinement of “An Invitation to Disappear,” but a certain urgency remains throughout. Beginning at 21:18, one can hear Crump give an exemplary bass performance, and soon after, Davis does the same on piano, before the two begin to merge with McPherson, who kicks the song’s remaining bars into a higher gear of improv perfection. Final movement “Possible Futures” reflects the hesitant optimism of its title, offering a more consistent, busy sound to find the listener, still wandering arcadia, now within earshot of the city. Invention comes creeping. Birds depart each branch. There is something happening out there, so close now that its vibrations can be felt. The prospect of industry awaits. McPherson bids adieu with some final metallic taps, effectively rousing the listener.
Few modern albums offer as grand a scope of adventure as Wandersphere. Stirringly evocative music rarely exists upon such an epic scale anymore, attesting to the Trio’s sheer ability. This should come as no surprise, as Crump, Davis, and McPherson are all seasoned musicians in their own rights, each as accomplished as they are prolific. The Grammy Award-nominated, Echo Award-winning Crump has seen success with a number of musical projects, including the critically acclaimed Rosetta Trio, not to mention his own solo material and collaborations with wife and fellow artist Jen Chapin. Davis, a Doris Duke Artist Award winner, has contributed her extraordinary talents as leader, co-leader, and sidewoman to more than 40 recorded works over the past two decades. An esteemed educator and musician, McPherson currently teaches at the University of Hartford’s prestigious Hartt School, and has collaborated with numerous musical acts, including late saxophonist Jackie McLean. Indeed, these are three of the most indisputably talented musicians—underdog jazz idols—working today, their exceptional abilities melding well on their Borderlands Trio records.
In the end, Wandersphere is one of the year’s most intelligent releases, its strict adherence to the creative principles of its composers doing little to stifle its sense of utter humanity. It embodies the sounds of both living and dying, triumph and tragedy, of freedom and imprisonment—a forest as vast and dark as night, or an ocean as near and clear as the light of day. Above all, this is an album of nature, as far away as nature often feels to us. Compositionally, it is educated, with production value tight and performances unmatched, but Wandersphere also retains enough intuitively avant-garde sensibility to maintain its overarching air of nonconformity, which is what ultimately makes for a great jazz recording. (www.intaktrec.bandcamp.com/album/wandersphere)
Author rating: 8/10
Average reader rating: 6/10
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