Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Grip: Celebrate
The Grip: Celebrate
Finn Peters
flute
Oren Marshall
tuba
Tom Skinner
drums
Arthur Blythe
saxophone, alto1940 - 2017
Steve Reid
drumsb.1944
Bob Stewart
tubab.1945
The focus of that project was brainwaves in music (see the YouTube clip below for more information) and so involved extensive use of electronics. For its members, The Grip was a reaction to that and so the trio's music is completely acoustic and more down-to-earth, sounding very human. The group's cohesion, interactions and material were developed in front of live audiences before they took to the studio to record Celebrate... and that can be heard in music which sounds fresh, natural and flowing. Remarkably, the whole album was recorded in a day, giving it a relaxed, spontaneous, easy-going feel.
Across nine group compositions in a range of styles covering blues, free jazz, funk and beyond, the three combine as a unit that includes all of them but is not dominated by any one of them. This is not a trio of featured soloist plus supporting rhythm section but a three-way conversation of equals. Given his instruments, Peters naturally seems to be in the spotlight for much of the time but, throughout, the three distinct independent instrumental voices can be distinguished, woven together into a coherent whole.
In that, Marshall's tuba is vital to The Grip, supplying elaborate funky bass lines, which command as much attention as the sax or flute, as well as his own idiosyncratic interjections. In similar fashion, Skinner's drumming goes way beyond the requirements of maintaining a rhythm as he adds subtle sounds which add shading, depth and character to the ensemble sound. Taken as a whole, the album bursts with personality, verve and energy—great music that is also great fun. We must hope this trio prospers and records again very soon. ">
Track Listing
Acorn? The 199 Blues? On the Tube? Nails? Compost Fly? Saladin? The Grip? Kailash? Celebrate.
Personnel
Oren Marshall
tubaFinn Peters: alto saxophone, flute? Oren Marshall: tuba? Tom Skinner: drums.
Album information
Title: Celebrate | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Slowfoot Records
Tags
The Grip
CD/LP/Track Review
Oren Marshall
John Eyles
Slowfoot Records
United Kingdom
London
Finn Peters
Tom Skinner
Arthur Blythe
Steve Reid
Bob Stewart
Celebrate
Comments
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