Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Allison Au: Forest Grove

Allison Au: Forest Grove

By Dan McClenaghan
November 6, 2017
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The best artists—writers, painters, musicians—create distinct ?new worlds. Canada's

Allison Au

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Allison Au has done just that with her Juno-Award-winning ?(2016, Jazz Album of the Year) recording, ?Forest Grove. The music therein is Au's personal ?vision transformed into a set of sounds with a continuity of purpose. A rarity for a young artist.

Au says she was attracted to what she refers to as the simplicity of the jazz quartet as a vehicle for realizing the vision of her original compositions, the oft-used format of her fellow altoists

Charlie Parker

saxophone, alto
1920 - 1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Parker,

Lee Konitz

saxophone, alto
1927 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Konitz, and

Art Pepper

saxophone, alto
1925 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Art Pepper. If fact, the opening cut of ?Forest Grove, "Tides," sounds, melodically, like something Charlie Parker might have written, or played.

Au's pen is a strong one. The compositional aspect of the disc stands out—a crafting of, in part, pastoral atmospheres and nostalgic reveries bumping up against boppish grooves. "Aureole" rolls in an up-tempo modern jazz mode. Keyboardist

Todd Pentney

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Todd Pentney proves himself a major force here, and throughout, mixing up his piano contributions with the B3 organ, Rhodes, Wurlitzer and synths, adding different hues to the full and beautiful sounds. "Deluge" is a jazz march, Au's alto issuing anguished cries. "Tumble" is pensive, the simple arrangement showcasing Au's horn as it tells ai perhaps melancholy story.

Three tunes include the understated wordless vocals of

Felicity WIlliams

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Felicity WIlliams, a shadowing of Au's alto, adding a gorgeous harmonic layering to the sound, nudging it in the direction of the orchestral.

A fine, alluring and deservedly award-winning effort that points to a bright future for Allison Au.

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Track Listing

Tides; Bolero; Aureole; The Clearing; Deluge; Through Light; Tumble; You Ordinary Stranger; They Say We Are Not Here.

Personnel

Allison Au

saxophone, alto

Allison Au: alto saxophone; Todd Pentney; piano, Hammond B3, Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric pianos, synthesizers; Jon Maharaj: bass, electric bass; Fabio Ragnelli: drums, percussion, Felicity Williams: vocals (2, 4, 9).

Album information

Title: Forest Grove | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Self Produced

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