…Leaving you wanting more.
ECM 2704 / 458 9048
Dominic Miller (guitar); Jacob Karlzon (piano, keyboard); Nicholas Fiszman (bass); Ziv Ravitz (drums)
Recorded April 2021
The guitarist’s previous couple of albums for ECM have been a little luke warm and never really captured the attention, but his latest offering is an altogether different proposition. Presenting a new quartet with fresh material for the recording session Miller has created a wonderfully evocative soundscape.
All four musicians are identified as strong leaders in their own right, but here they serve the music as a collective. Little in the way of out and out solos, but instead a beautifully structured set of lyrical instrumental ensemble music. That is not to see that each music is not able to contribute, and each do bring their own voices to bear on the overall sound and texture of the eight compositions.
Drummer Ziv Ravitz lays an integral role in this respect and his subtle use of dynamic and timbre offer more than just a rhythmic framework but also colour and delicate shading to the music, as on ‘Vaugines’, the strong backbeat on ‘Clandestine’ that with the bassline add a hint of the forbidden’.
The opening ‘All Change’ recalls early Pat Metheny Group records for the imprint, while Miller’s gorgeous ballad ‘Cruel But Fair’ follows. For much of his inspiration for the music, Miller draws inspiration for the area in southern France where he has made his home, and with a lack of opportunity to travel the music has a calm and gentle perspective on life throughout.
There are many highlights in this set including the lovely solo guitar feature on ‘Mi Viejo’ along with the closing ‘Lone Waltz’ that brings the album to a perfect close and leaving you wanting more.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
