A bit of a change of pace for Australian
free jazz
trio the
Necks
,
Townsville
is a live album recorded in the fairly remote Australian town of the same name. A single improvised piece (as nearly all of the
' live performances are) in the 53-minute range,
is the trio in full-on
Erik Satie
-meets-
Brian Eno
mode, with drummer
Tony Buck
sticking almost exclusively to cymbals and hand percussion, and bassist
Lloyd Swanton
at times playing so quietly as to be almost inaudible, and at others repeatedly returning to one simple recurring figure. This leaves pianist
Chris Abrahams
to take the organizational lead, playing wave-like clusters of
Cecil Taylor
-like chords that tinkle off into near silence before roaring back like surf on an Australian beach. That's pretty much it for the duration of the piece, an extended exploration of a placid mood that meanders pleasantly for most of an hour before quietly petering away. For a trio best known for playing hard-edged
jazz
with rock intensity,
is an intriguing but inconclusive side trip. ~ Stewart Mason