Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Alexander Hawkins: Song Singular

Alexander Hawkins: Song Singular

By Karl Ackermann
February 27, 2014
View read count

The concurrent releases of pianist/composer Alexander Hawkins solo and ensemble recordings demonstrate the up-and-coming artist's exceptional range of compositional skills across dissimilar formats. The young Oxford, UK native has been a much sought after sideman, working with free jazz sax legend

Evan Parker

saxophone, soprano
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">Evan Parker, saxophonist

Joe McPhee

woodwinds
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe McPhee and renowned South African drummer,

Louis Moholo-Moholo

drums
1940 - 2025

" data-original-title="" title="">Louis Moholo-Moholo. Hawkins is also a co-leader of the

Convergence Quartet

" data-original-title="" title="">Convergence Quartet featuring cornet virtuoso

Taylor Ho Bynum

cornet
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Taylor Ho Bynum, drummer

Harris Eisenstadt

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Harris Eisenstadt, and double bassist

Dominic Lash

bass, acoustic
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Dominic Lash.

Hawkins' solo effort, Song Singular, leaves any attempt to weed out influences a futile exercise. Layered notes and complex textures aggressively course through elaborately composed structures. Adding some elements of free improvisation produces a labyrinth of rapid-fire episodes that necessitate repeated listening to absorb what Hawkins has conceptualized. The pieces are strikingly original and fresh and where Hawkins shows respect for convention, he does not subscribe to it as an ongoing model. An excellent example is his asymmetrical treatment of

Billy Strayhorn

piano
1915 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Strayhorn's "Take the 'A' Train." On the only cover tune in the collection, Hawkins fragments the usual jazz elements and unpredictably re-imagines the piece.

From the opening of Song Singular, Hawkins draws favorable comparisons to some of the great innovative pianists of our time, particularly

Cecil Taylor

piano
1929 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Cecil Taylor, but he does so without summoning a direct association. A torrential rain of notes pours out of Hawkins on "The Way We Dance It Here," a blindingly fast paced abstraction that settles down for only a brief instant. Technical flourishes share space with intricate melodies on "Early Then M.A." a sweeping work in comparison to the shambolic opener. The disparity of styles is further emphasized with "Unknown Baobabs (Seen in the Distance)" which drifts in airily before building to a sprawling melody with multiple layers of note clusters, compared to the relatively relaxed swing of "Stillness from 37,000 Ft.."

Nothing is squandered on Song Singular. The narratives play out in runs dominated by solitary notes and bass pulses in rapid successions that would imply free jazz but, in realty, are well-structured. Hawkins' compositions are both accessible and intensely intricate and his playing is powerful, technically brilliant and melodically inventive. Song Singular should have substantial impact on Hawkins' recognition as an avant-garde force.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

The Way We Dance It Here; Early Then, M.A.; Joists, Distilled; Stillness from 37,000 ft.; Two Dormant, One Active; Hope Step the Lava Flow; Take the A Train; Distances Between Points; Advice; Unknown Baobabs (Seen in the Distance).

Personnel

Alexander Hawkins

piano

Alexander Hawkins: piano.

Album information

Title: Song Singular | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Babel Label

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Transform
< Previous

Porgy and Bess Broadway Production a...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.