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John Surman

Words Unspoken

ECM
Release Date: February 2, 2024

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Teaser
1 Pebble Dance  
2 Words Unspoken  
3 Graviola  
4 Flower In Aspic  
5 Precipice  
6 Around The Edges  
7 Onich Ceilidh  
8 Belay That  
9 Bitter Aloe  
10 Hawksmoor  
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“It has always fascinated me hearing from people the many different images and messages that any one piece of music can conjure up in their imaginations,“ says the British reedman John Surman in the liner note for his new quartet album. “Quite often the impressions and stories can be widely varied, and yet somehow seem to make sense to the individuals concerned. This is one side of the title Words Unspoken - but the other refers to the way that I wanted us to approach the music as a group. I simply brought some ideas along to the musicians and, without discussing who would play which element and how the tunes would take shape, we would try and piece the elements together just by listening to each other and reacting accordingly.”

Surman’s open compositions here are frameworks encouraging musical debate as the players guide the collective sound to new destinations, and add striking statements of their own. The ensemble’s identity builds upon the understanding achieved by Surman and US vibraphonist Rob Waring who, like the bandleader, has long been a resident of Oslo. Surman and Waring previously collaborated on John’s 2017 trio recording Invisible Threads with Brazilian pianist Nelson Ayres. They are joined here by two musicians familiar to ECM listeners, British guitarist Rob Luft (lately heard on albums with singer Elina Duni), and Norwegian drummer Thomas Strønen, whose projects have included the ensemble Time Is A Blind Guide, Food (with Iain Ballamy), the trio Bayou (with Ayumi Tanaka and Marthe Lea), Parish (with Bobo Stenson) and more. Strønen’s most recent ECM appearance was as a member of Sinikka Langeland’s band on 2023 release Wind And Sun.

  • John Surman - Words Unspoken makes 'MorningStar: Album reviews with IAN SINCLAIR
    Posted At: April 1, 2024
    “It has always fascinated me hearing from people the many different images and messages that any one piece of music can conjure up in their imaginations,“ says the British reedman John Surman in the liner note for his new quartet album. “Quite often the impressions and stories can be widely varied, and yet somehow seem to make sense to the individuals concerned. This is one side of the title Words Unspoken ...

  • John Surman: Words Unspoken is hypnotic, stimulating, arousing, reviving / All About Jazz
    Posted At: February 15, 2024
    “It has always fascinated me hearing from people the many different images and messages that any one piece of music can conjure up in their imaginations,“ says the British reedman John Surman in the liner note for his new quartet album. This was followed, in 1978, by Surman’ss can be widely varied, and yet somehow seem to make sense to the individuals concerned. This is one side of the title Words Unspoken ...

  • On 'Words Unspoken,' John Surman is clearly devoted to keeping the music fresh and forward-looking / THE BIG TAKEOVER
    Posted At: February 12, 2024
    “It has always fascinated me hearing from people the many different images and messages that any one piece of music can conjure up in their imaginations,“ says the British reedman John Surman in the liner note for his new quartet album. This was followed, in 1978, by Surman’ss can be widely varied, and yet somehow seem to make sense to the individuals concerned. This is one side of the title Words Unspoken ...

  • What a privilege it will be to see John Surman's quartet perform in a live setting / UKVIBE
    Posted At: February 11, 2024
    UKVIBE's Mike Gates writes…..John Surman, who turns 80 in 2024, has been a vital force in British and European jazz for more than half a century. Having established himself as a unique soloist and leading light in the 1960s in groups led by Mike Westbrook and Chris McGregor, it was his collaboration with John McLaughlin on the guitarist’s brilliant 1969 album “Extrapolation” that first drew his wondrous pla...

  • 'Words Unspoken' is a natural heir to John Surman's 'Invisible Threads' / jazzwise
    Posted At: February 11, 2024
    “It has always fascinated me hearing from people the many different images and messages that any one piece of music can conjure up in their imaginations,“ says the British reedman John Surman in the liner note for his new quartet album. “Quite often the impressions and stories can be widely varied, and yet somehow seem to make sense to the individuals concerned. This is one side of the title Words Unspoken ...
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