Words Unspoken

John Surman

Released on 2/16/24 by ECM Records
Main artists: John Surman
Genre: Contemporary Jazz

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Ironclad pillar of the ECM label since the late seventies, John Surman possesses an arsenal that's as solid as ever. The year of his eightieth birthday, the British saxophonist who navigates between chamber and avant garde free jazz, as well as dreamy folk, has produced an album whose title couldn't be more explicit: Words Unspoken. Indeed, words are needless given how much the telepathy and mutual understanding between Surman and his young collaborators—English guitarist Rob Luft, Norwegian-American vibraphonist Rob Waring, and Norwegian drummer Thomas Strønen—jump out at you. "My idea was to put together some musical ideas that would offer a collective sense of purpose but still be open enough to allow each of us to suggest other ways of developing the material together. Everything fell into place immediately. But I soon realized it wasn't so much the musical ideas that made it work, it was the musicians." From the outset, it's classic John Surman; dreamy and weighty, and making full use of his weapons of choice, the soprano, the baritone, and of course, the bass clarinet. The originality of his instrumentarium—sax, vibraphone, guitar, drums—plays a significant role in the dreamlike quality that is felt throughout the ten tracks composed by the 80 year-old commander-in-chief. But above all, there's unique phrasing with a rare poeticness, like on the languid "Flower In Aspic." One gets the feeling of moving forward in measured, delicate steps, in tune with nature in order to check out from reality. Surman's music is simply the music of mountains, oceans, lakes, plains, and valleys. A new dream of exquisite beauty. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

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Words Unspoken

John Surman

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