19th August 2014: BIG NEWS: Cloudmakers Trio to release ‘Abstract Forces’ Sept 29 + full length track preview from the album
check out ‘Snaggletooth’ from the album below!
Abstract Forces is the second release from Cloudmakers Trio, the brainchild of vibraphonist Jim Hart which features WWR founder Michael Janisch on double bass and Dave Smith on drums. The album is a powerful mix of strong grooves, catchy hooks and, as the title suggests, very open improvising. Hart’s writing explores different textures, moods and eclectic sound worlds, rendering the music unpredictable and exciting while at the same time beautifully accessible.
The album is an organic continuation of a well-established musical relationship originally formed to collaborate and record with the NYC-based trumpeter Ralph Alessi in 2010 (the result was the Cloudmakers’ debut Live at the Pizza Express, one of the most lauded albums of 2012 in the UK jazz/improv press). It was during the buildup to the tour and recording of the live album that Hart had the good sense make this trio the focus of his new compositions and arrangements.
Hart explains, “After years of playing together as a rhythm section for many artists, Michael, Dave and I decided to get together and prepare new music for a collaboration with Ralph, and during those rehearsals we three played a lot, sometimes up to eight hours a day. It was during these rehearsals that I realised it was the right moment to begin exploring, in greater depth, what potential the ‘vibes trio’ might have. I began writing music just for the trio and over the last four years we have developed and expanded the repertoire through regular touring. This record is a document of where we’re at in this process and I am extremely proud of it. It can sound much bigger than just three players at times whilst also having the dynamic interplay that you can only have in a trio.
For me, Abstract Forces is also the culmination of more than ten years of experience performing as a vibraphonist, as well as leading bands and writing for this instrument. Since I formed my first quartet band ‘Gemini’ in 2003 I have been trying to develop a sound and an approach to the vibes as the only harmony instrument in the ensemble. It is a role that I have always felt under exploited for the the vibes and I have made it my mission to do something about that. In a way I have been quietly developing Cloudmakers Trio from within various quartets since that time.
The name of the group and album comes from the analogy of a trio of rhythm section instruments acting as an engine room within the music. I thought of it like a power station that also produces clouds which have an abstract, ethereal quality to them. Our music is definitely highly charged and has a strong rhythmical focus on the one hand, but at the same time it is absolutely jazz in that it celebrates the freedom and openness of improvisation without being constrained by the compositions. There are abstract forces at work.”
Meet Cloudmakers Trio:
Amongst the hotbed of talent on the London post-jazz improv scene there is one band that stands out from the crowd for their no-gimmick & uncompromising approach to music making that effortlessly marries the complex with accessibility. Cloudmakers Trio play original music that lies somewhere between New York’s ‘downtown’ sound and the modern European tradition, and with the help of their rare instrumentation, featuring the vibraphone in a trio leadership role, their soundworld defies category yet draws influence from a diverse range of music traditions, while maintaining a devotion to raw energy, in the moment risk taking, a dedication to deep groove and rhythm, and strong melody.
Under the leadership of the award-winning multi-instrumentalist Jim Hart, the Cloudmakers Trio represents the culmination of over a decade of musical growth between three of the finest London-based musicians currently working on the international jazz, improvised, and alternative music scenes. And they have no boundaries; their collective resumes include performances with Evan Parker, Fofoulah, Sir John Dankworth, Joe Lovano, Kurt Rosenwinkel, JuJu, Dianne Reeves, Quincy Jones, Outhouse Ruhabi, Heritage Orchestra, Ingrid Jenson, Lee Konitz, Walter Smith III and Robert Plant.
Having performed as a trio for many touring projects over the years, Hart had the good sense to make this group the focus of his new compositions and arrangements. With US born, London-based virtuoso Michael Janisch on double bass, and long time musical associate David Smith on drums and percussion, Cloudmakers Trio officially formed in July, 2010. Since their formation CMT has become a hit in their native UK and quickly become one of Mainland Europe’s most talked about young bands, with performances across the continent. Excitedly, the trio have also turned heads in Japan & USA as well from fans, critics and prominent musicians alike as a result of their high-energy live shows and the release of their debut album.
Live at the Pizza Express (Whirlwind Recordings) which featured the iconic trumpeter, composer, and musical conceptualist Ralph Alessi was released in Sept, 2012 to international acclaim. The album kickstarted an intense few years of worldwide touring, honing their band sound and developing all new repertoire, resulting in their forthcoming album Abstract Forces (release date Sept 2014). This new collection of tunes masterfully penned by Hart sees CMT effortlessly blending free improvisation with full on rock grooves, hard swing mixed subtly complex rhythms, and unabashed group interplay paired with epic, soaring refrains. No doubt their new album will boost their reputation further as one of the most exciting and eclectic of improv bands currently based in Europe.