An album of exciting contrasts that makes you sit up and take notice, while also welcoming you in with open arms and reassuring you that everything is going to be okay
Audio-B ABCD 5033
Tim Boniface (alto and tenor saxophones); James Pearson (piano); Malcolm Creese (double bass); Jon Ormston (drums and percussion)
Recorded at Girton College, University of Cambridge on 9/10 January 2025
Any album subtitled ‘Themes For Peace’ sounds as though it could be music for our troubled times, and this album most certainly is. With his new release, ‘Psalter: Themes For Peace’, Tim Boniface has produced an album of exciting contrasts that makes you sit up and take notice, while also welcoming you in with open arms and reassuring you that everything is going to be okay. It reads like the soundtrack to one of your favourite movies, skilfully interpreting the range of moods and themes through a series of inspired and elegantly played compositions that resonate long after the movie has ended.
And there is quite a backstory to this work. Bonniface is not just a skilled saxophonist, composer, and educator, he is an ordained priest and Chaplain at Girton College, University of Cambridge, as well as Artistic Director of Girton Jazz, a programme of workshops and public concerts developing student jazz skills.
The album is presented as a jazz suite; a meditation on the concept of ‘peace’ and its various meanings and uses, with each of its six movements based on ancient texts from the Biblical book of Psalms. Through the music and written verse we are encouraged to ponder the multifaceted nature of peace. As Boniface says: “The aim of Psalter is to embrace the fluidity and mystery of how music and meaning are related, to get beyond simplistic notions of peace and explore its multiple social, political and spiritual dimensions through composition and improvisation in the mainstream jazz tradition”.
And does this theoretical framework enhance our appreciation of the music? I think so. Not only through a deeper understanding of the inspiration behind the music, but also in putting us in a space where we are more open to the creative forces at work here, both written and performed. But you don’t need any knowledge of the source material to be hugely impressed by this recording. As Boniface says: “…the work is very much intended to be accessible beyond any particular tradition, and indeed can be listened to without reference to the texts at all”. Ultimately, this album works through the quality of the compositions and the playing which are very high throughout.
Boniface has a confident, warm and versatile sound on both alto and tenor sax, soloing with an imagination that always keeps you engaged. And he has surrounded himself with excellent players. James Pearson, Malcolm Creese and Jon Ormston are with him all the way and it is their unity and cohesion behind a common vision that impresses throughout.
The first movement, ‘The Blessing of Peace’ (all of the movement titles are abbreviated versions of the texts from which they are taken), has a joyful, uplifting melody and downtown vibe, presenting peace as strong and beautiful. ‘In Peace I Will Lie Down and Sleep’ is a quieter number, more introspective with soothing tones. Delicate passages of sax, bass and piano gently move things forward, wringing the emotional pull.
‘Do Not Hold Your Peace at My Tears’ opens with a penetrating sax call. Drums and double bass add further impact and a raw edge, complementing some of Boniface’s finest blowing on the album. Piano joins to round things out and a more conventional melody emerges. But this is not a peaceful ‘peace’, with drums and bass prominent, highlighting the conflicted nature of the inspiration and themes.
‘Righteousness and Peace Have Kissed Each Other’, is a cool, hip and swinging track, bringing a retro feel, like a lively strut down Frith Street in the 60’s. ‘Peace on Their Lips; Malice in Their Hearts’, speaks of a deceptive peace, with Boniface’s rolling blues solo over batteries of drums and a reverberating bassline. Pearson’s fine piano solo takes over, adding impetus and volume to the growing sound.
‘Seek Peace and Pursue It’ rounds out the suite; a simple sax-stated melody with gentle piano accompaniment, conveying feelings of reassurance and comfort. On other albums, this might have been described as a “moving ballad”, but there are bigger things in mind here, providing a welcome note of hopefulness with which to conclude the suite.
A bonus track, a version of ‘Kingdom Song’, which appeared on Boniface’s 2016 album, ‘The Eight Words’, sees out the recording. A folk-tinged hymn, which provides an excellent wind-down to an impressive album.
