Well worth a good listen.
Livia Records LRCD2504
Carole Nelson (piano, Fender Rhodes, alto saxophone); Cormac O’Brien (bass); Dominic Mullan (drums)
Recorded Hellfire Studio, Dublin 27-28 November 2024
London-born Carole Nelson has lived in Ireland for almost forty years, and this trio has been playing together for ten years. This is their fourth album. The album is released on the Livia Records label, which is fast becoming the Irish equivalent of ECM.
As with all Livia releases, the CD version includes excellent packaging, with a fold-out digipak and a 12-page booklet that includes liner notes from the former Irish Times jazz critic Cormac Larkin, plus band photos, and a track-by-track description by Nelson, who composed almost all of the album’s twelve songs.
The trio’s rhythm section members – bassist Cormac O’Brien and drummer Dominic Mullan – have played with a wide range of musicians that include Jim Mullen, Louis Stewart, Georgie Fame, Ernie Watts, Rick Margitza, John Riley and Jean Toussaint.
This is an album of two parts, with survival and nature being the common theme for both. The album’s first six tunes (‘We Begin Here,’ ‘Lift Off,’ ‘Through The Storm,’ ‘Sky Journey, ‘Arrival’ and ‘Refuge’ were inspired by the annual migration of swallows from Africa to Ireland, with each tune representing a part of the mammoth journey. The remaining half dozen songs are related to the extinct bird, Kauaʻi ʻōʻō, which lived on the Hawaiian island Kauaʻi until 1987.
The ballad ‘We Begin Here,’ marks the start of the migration journey, as the swallows prepare for their long flight. It’s a sparse, delicate piece. Nelson plays softly and tentatively, accompanied by the light metallic sound of Mullan’s tongue drum. ‘Lift Off’ begins with Nelson playing a circular piano motif, which Mullan copies, before breaking out with some brisk fills. The tune then seamlessly switches into a number that really swings, and brings to mind the transformation heard at the beginning of Miles Davis’s ‘So What.’ Nelson plays with energy and passion on this superb piece. O’Brien’s lively bass solo is also supported by some fine comping by the pianist.
Fans of EST or Go-Go Penguin will enjoy ‘Through The Storm,’ which is my favourite number. It begins tentatively, with Nelson playing a slow solo piano piece before breaking out into a fast repeating riff that grows in intensity. The rest of the band joins in and the piece takes off, with the sharp snap of O’Brien’s bass strings clearly audible. ‘Sky Journey’ has a joyous sound, conjuring up an image of birds soaring in flight.
The ballad ‘Arrival’ has a pretty melody, played by Nelson, accompanied by some military-style drumming by Mullan and arco bass from O’Brien. ‘Refuge’ is a delicate piece played in Waltz time, with the bass playing the main melody.
The second half of the album begins with one of the last recordings of the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō, before it became extinct. The recording was provided by Cornell Ornithology Lab, the organisation behind the Merlin bird ID app found on millions of phones. The bird’s last song is haunting to listen to.
‘Eden’ is an improvised piece, based on a series of notes from the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō’s birdsong. On this number, Nelson plays both piano and alto sax. The latter instrument is blown so delicately that, in places, it sounds more like a flute. The music evokes a feeling of peace, calm and tranquillity; a world where the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō can flourish.
But sadly all this changes as the dark chords played on a Fender Rhodes on ‘Encroachment’ mark the beginning of human intervention on nature’s habitats. On this piece, Nelson plays briskly over a funky groove. ‘The Last Song’ sees O’Brien creating a series of mournful cries with his bowed bass, accompanied by dark, slow, descending piano chords. It’s a sombre piece, marking the extinction of the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō.
‘Return’ is also inspired by the song of the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō, and the second number to feature alto sax. There is a feeling of optimism in the sound, the hope that things can become better. The closing number, ‘Epilogue,’ is a band composition, and a five-minute long, edited section of a longer improvisation. It’s a soft, gentle piece, with Mullan using brushes, O’Brien leaving lots of space between notes, and Nelson playing a soft, sweet melody on piano. This is an album of two contrasting messages, which are played with finesse by this highly impressive jazz trio. Well worth a good listen.
