Spaces In Between

This is a development of the John Surman Coruscating project, now nearly a decade old, in which the reeds virtuoso and his long-time jazz/classical bass partner Chris Laurence explore chamber jazz with a classical string quartet. The Trans4mation String Quartet, notably violinist Rita Manning, demonstrate a subtler understanding of Surman's intentions than on Coruscating, and Manning's unaccompanied account of the title track is the centerpiece. The echo of the St Gerold Church broadens the soundscape for the leader's powerful baritone sax on the gently swaying opener and the haunting North African cadences of Mimosa (written for oud player Anouar Brahem). The 1970 Surman classic Where Fortune Smiles (originally a full-on roar with John McLaughlin) now substitutes a silky grace for it's old muscularity. Wayfarers All, a typical Surman posh knees-up, is rural-sounding but loose, and the romantic Winter Wish is an exquisite exercise in extended soprano-sax improvisation, sounds skimming and darting like moths in pools of light. Some jazzers will miss a rhythm section's punch, but the textures are delicious.