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Tim Garland: ReFocus
ByIf Garland's orchestral colors have often reflected the influence of Michael Tippett, Benjamin Britten and Henri Dutilleux as much as Maurice Ravel, Igor Stravinsky or Béla Bartók, ReFocus pays personal homage to Stan Getz's album Focus (Verve, 1962), which featured three violins, viola and cello, and secondary roles (in the main) for pianist Steve Kuhn, bassist John Neves and drummer Roy Haynes. Composer Eddie Sauter left the melodies free for Getz to improvise, and it is an approach that Garland adopts here, basing his solos, in part, on Getz's own themes. Whereas Getz bewitched with an aching lyricism reminiscent of Lester Young on Focus, Garland's brand of romanticism is darker, more muscular and, not surprisingly, having absorbed another half century of music, more contemporary sounding.
Apart from the faithful rendition of Sauter's "I'm Late, I'm Late"with percussionist Adam Kovacs replicating Haynes' dynamic brushwork from that 1961 sessionGarland is more attuned to the spirit of adventure that Focus represented in an era when jazz would splinter into Third Stream, free improvisation and avant-garde experimentalism a world of possibilities. Getz' embrace of strings on Focus, however, had little to do with jazz ensemble play, with the jazz musicians no more than bit-part players. By contrast, drummer Asaf Sirkis and bassist Yuri Goloubev are cornerstones of Garland's rhythmic edifice, while guest musicians John Turville on piano, and Ant Law on acoustic guitar enjoy sparkling cameos on the unreservedly cheery "Jezeppi," where Garland also shines, on soprano saxophone.
The saxophonist's virtuosity aside, it is his ability to harness the strings to conjure an array of moods and textures that most impresses. From the reflective melancholy of "The Autumn Gate" and the brooding tensions and unfolding drama of "Dream State," to the rhythmic panache of the exhilarating "Night Flight," ReFocus is an emotional journey more than anything. While the string ensemble's elegant legato phrasing, lively pizzicato and thrilling riffing score the big points, there is also devil in the detail, with harpist Lauren Scott's subtle interventionsher swirling cascades and sly pulses, the percussive splashes and moody arpeggioscoloring the arrangements significantly.
Instantly gratifying on multiple levels, ReFocus strikes a fine balance between classical sophistication, earthy rhythmic drive and improvisational flourish. To the patient, however, the music unveils its most satisfying richesits nuances and layerswith the repeated listening that it merits.
Track Listing
I'm Late, I'm Late; Maternal; Thorn In The Evening; Dream State; Past Light; Night Flight; The Autumn Gate; Jezeppi.
Personnel
Additional Instrumentation
Tim Garland: piano; Ant Law: acoustic guitar (8); John Turville: piano (8); Thomas Gould: violin; Ben Hancox: violin; Magdalena Filipczak: violin; Rakhi Singh: violin; Simran Singh: violin; Robin Ashwell: viola; Juan-Miguel Hernandez: viola; Cecilia Bignall: cello; Lauren Scott: harp; Adam Kovacs: percussion (1-2).
Album information
Title: ReFocus | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Edition Records