Amazon.co.uk Review
Saxophonist Theo Travis might be based in London, but
Heart of the Sun features a geographically broad spread of musicians, most notably spotlighting the Danish trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg on half of its pieces. Travis alternates his usual UK band with a German rhythm team, and there are more guest slots for guitarists Mark Wood (who figured in the raunchy Marshall-Travis-Wood trio) and Daevid Allen, leader of veteran psychedelic pranksters Gong. All except one of the album's tunes are penned by Travis, the exception being "Here's That Rainy Day", a Johnny Burke-Jimmy Van Heusen standard. Though Travis has a strong individual style, he admits outside influences at various points, among them John Coltrane, Michael Brecker and even Coleman Hawkins. Ambient textures are smeared liberally, Mikkelborg using delicious mute burbles or warbly electro-effects, David Gordon producing a purring pulse on Hammond B3. The album closes with the epic "Bass Rock" (pronounced like the fish rather than the four-string), a suitably atmospheric unfolding, inspired by a visit to the island of volcanic stone just off England's north-east coast.
--Martin Longley
Album Description
'Heart Of The Sun' is the first studio recording by British saxophonist/flautist/composer Theo Travis since his critically acclaimed 1996 release, 'Secret Island'. It features his regular working band plus various international guests including Denmark's legendary trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg who is known for his landmark recordings with Miles Davis ('Aura'), Dexter Gordon (the 'Round Midnight' film), George Russell, Bill Evans, Jan Garbarek and Terje Rypdal. Other guests include guitarist Daevid Allen (Travis has been a member of Allen's band Gong since 1999) and top German rhythm section Stefan weeke (bass) and Bjorn Lucker (drums).
The album includes seven Travis originals with strong melodies, varied compositional colours and imaginative arrangements. It moves from ambient ballads to progressive bluesy tracks and from freewheeling hard swinging tracks to evocative soundscapes. There is also an imaginative and atmospheric version of the classic "Here's That Rainy Day". Influences are as diverse as McCoy Tyner, The Beatles, Stan Getz, Gil Evans and Brian Eno on what has already been hailed as Theo's finest album to date.
Personnel:
Theo Travis - (tenor & soprano sax), Palle Mikkelborg - (trumpet), Daevid Allen - (Glissando guitar), Andy Hamill - (double bass), David Gordon - (piano, Hammond C3 organ), Marc Parnell - (drums), Stefan Weeke - (double bass), Bjorn Lucker - (drums), Mark Wood - (guitar), Stewart Curtis - (clarinets)
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