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Spirit Fingers: Spirit Fingers

By Roger Farbey
April 10, 2018
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This is the debut album and brainchild of leader, pianist and composer

Greg Spero

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Greg Spero, an undeniably gifted pianist and composer who has been mentored by fellow keyboardists and

Miles Davis

trumpet
1926 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Miles Davis alumni

Robert Irving III

keyboards
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Robert Irving III and

Herbie Hancock

piano
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Herbie Hancock. The musicians Spero assembled for his project amount to a veritable supergroup in terms of their prodigious talent. The repertoire of

Spirit Fingers

" data-original-title="" title="">Spirit Fingers is clearly informed by the likes of

Chick Corea

piano
1941 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Chick Corea's

Return to Forever

band / ensemble / orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">Return to Forever and

" data-original-title="" title="">John McLaughlin's later works—not coincidentally, since bassist Hadrien Feraud played on McLaughlin's albums Industrial Zen (Verve, 2006) and Floating Point (Abstract Logix, 2008). There are other elements here too, such as serialism, as conceived by the likes of

Philip Glass

composer / conductor
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Philip Glass. Tracks like "Movement" and "Location" veer towards this genre, where Spero's compositions betray a tendency towards repeated piano figures.

Another key trait of Spero's compositions is revealed with the opening number, "Inside," in which polyrhythms abound, the piano and drums wildly crossing tempos. Incidentally, the former name of the band was actually Polyrhythmic, a somewhat jejune moniker, which might explain why they chose to change it. On "Maps" Dario Chiazzolino's mellow-toned guitar solo combines speed, dexterity and an expertly restrained subtlety, steering clear of well-worn jazz-rock cliches. Feraud contributes breathtakingly dextrous solos throughout, but particularly on "For," "Find" and "You," the latter track being immersed in funk-laden grooves with the bassist's playing speed ranking alongside that of

Jaco Pastorius

bass, electric
1951 - 1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Jaco Pastorius.

The short, delicate "Space," features a duet between Chiazzolino and Spero and is classical in feel, noticeably at odds with the following dramatically-fragmented tune "Release" which spits out a kaleidoscope of sonic colours, not least from Mike Mitchell's powerful staccato drumming. All the tracks on the album, with their emblematic mantra-like single word titles, seem to meld seamlessly into one another and this characteristic mirrors the near-telepathic cohesion of this quartet. Imbued with preternatural levels of skill and a high replay value, this is one album where the much hackneyed term "fusion" seems an absolutely appropriate term.

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Track Listing

Inside; Maps; Try; For; Movement; Find; Space; Release; Location; Being; You; Realize.

Personnel

Spirit Fingers

Greg Spero: piano; Dario Chiazzolino: guitar; Hadrien Feraud: bass; Mike Mitchell: drums.

Album information

Title: Spirit Fingers | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Shanachie Records

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