Keith Penhallow received 2nd prize in the National Jazz Writing Competition in 2007. This is one of his submitted reviews.
Marc Hannaford has come a long way since my memory of him bouncing around on the piano stool in the Band Room at ANU’s School of Music. He is obviously held in high regard by his peers as he has managed to pul Scott Tinkler on trumpet, Ken Edie drums and Phillip Rex bass for his first recording.
Sauna Twins starts witha slow piano and bass, drums follow. They weave and dodge around each other. They seem to teeter on a bass line. The piano leads again wht increasing intensity. They reach a climaz and slide down a bass string to a halt. Drums introduce G.E.B., the bass joins in, the piano tinkles. We hear the first trumpet notes. The intensity increases and continues for over seventeen minutes.
Pure Evil starts in a disjointed way and then swings. Tinkler is back on track four, All Booze, his long rich notes above the percussive mesh.
On I’ll Go Down… Hannaford plays an introspective solo piece, as though to get his breath back. Head Check continues the mood, starting off slowly, and then joined by hte bass and drums to reach a climax before slowing to end with some predominant bass.
222 1/2 starts slowly with just enough peiano and a little cymbal work that again builds to a climax. What Was That ends the CD with Tinkler growling over a thrashing trio. This is a challenging recording. Sit down and absorb it.
