Strange Beauty (Every Way OK

2019 album from pianist Jim Blomfield and his trio, with all compositions by Jim except track 3 (R. Schumann arr. Jim Blomfield). "Blomfield has been active in and around Bristol's creative music scene since the early 1990s, and local saxophonist Kevin Figes has released Blomfield's second trio album, Strange Beauty (Every Way OK), via his Pig Records label. It sees the pianist dig deep to create connections through music with his two severely autistic sons. In Blomfield's words, the new recording, "gives my non-verbal sons a 'voice' in my music". It's a stirring message and a relevant context in which to listen to the album: samples serve as points of reference - for example, the opening of the Radiohead-evoking title-track is a sampled loop of the creaking noise of his son riding a swing, described by Blomfield in the sleeve notes as a haunting symbol of autism's obsession with detail. In comparison to his debut - Wave Forms and Sea Changes from 2013 - the underlying theme contributes to its more reflective tone. Elsewhere he expands the instrumental palette to introduce electronica: his Prophet 6 synth-playing injects something of Krautrock, 1970s TV movie themes and 1980s futurism into a few of his compositions, while a sleepily enigmatic rendition of an otherwise energetic Schumann piano piece, 'Intermezzo', is the only non-original. Blomfield's balanced approach makes room for upbeat contemporary piano trio hooks too on 'Buddha in the Barcode' and the light-hearted latin-fusion feel on 'Full Circle'. Though Strange Beauty (Every Way OK) resounds with the extreme challenges faced by Blomfield's family, it's nevertheless infused with a purposeful sense of optimism." - Jazzwise

Number of Discs: 1

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