Entity

It has been seven years since the Neil Cowley Trio released their international breakthrough, Spacebound Apes. The pianist recorded other projects during that time, but the trios dialogue is unique in his output. He doesnt merely play with double bassist Rex Horan and drummer Evan Jenkins, he deliberately crafts a musical language for their deep listening conversations. Cowleys group doesnt conform to the jazz piano trios "melody-solos-melody" trope. The composer loves circularity and motivic repetition; his tunes often sound episodic and occasionally unresolved, with a beauty sometimes edifying and sometimes unsettling in its openness. Cowley composed and recorded Entity as a "warts and all human sounding record" free of algorithms and digital pulses. For the purpose of focus, he brought pre-recorded synth and drum machine patterns to play with the trio; quickly after coming together, the musicians realized they were a hindrance and abandoned them. Producer Ethan Johns devoted himself to their collective language and expression with truly excellent results. Cowleys love of musical bombast is absent here. Across 11 compositions, Entity unfolds languidly, like an interlocking suite that reflects the elegiac, bound in themes of longing, loss, and acceptance. That said, the droll pianist retains his sense of harmonic lyricism and wry wit. Opener "Marble" is dreamlike, even tender, its melancholy softness channeled by all members. Halfway through, Jenkins begins playing the kit like a hand percussionist, and Cowley solos with a limited scalar palette, underscoring the rhythmic undercurrent developing as lyric tension. "V&A" brings in minimalist analog electronics (hushed string sounds) framing Horans bassline under cascading, circular arpeggios as Jenkins limpidly keeps unshakeable time. While there is no formal melody forthcoming from the pianist, Horan articulates it with fills, accents, and sonorous deep tones with ballast added by the pianist. Ultimately, it ratchets drama, approaching the transcendent. "Brood" is slow and melancholic in places, but its modal jazz harmony and lullaby-esque lyricism is strikingly beautiful, particularly in its cadenzas. The truly songlike "Father Daughter" sounds like it could have been written by Neil Young. "Adam Alphabet" is knotty, even chunky; its jaunty uptempo rhythm and hummable progressive melody are at once mischievous and satisfying. This is also true of "Lemon Meringue," while "Shoop" sounds like an instrumental rock song with a hooky vamp and lyric phrasing. Entitys title track bookends seemingly lag as independent tracks, but when placed in the albums full context, they are musical pillars. Cowley has made impressive music solo and with others, but hes most articulate, even visionary, as both pianist and composer when in dialogue with Horan and Jenkins. Entity is a welcome back as well as a step forward, for this nearly symbiotic creative outfit. ~ Thom Jurek