Julien Wilson Trio
Live
(Sound Vault)
Rating: ****
The second album from the award-winning Melbourne saxophonist’s trio was recorded at Bennetts Lane during a broadcast in 2007 commemorating the 30th anniversary of ABC Classic FM’s Jazztrack.
Luscious, warm sounds are produced by the gracefully integrated instrumentation of Wilson’s tenor sax, Stephen Magnusson’s guitar and Stephen Grant’s piano accordion.
Three of the five pieces are Wilson originals, including Rebellious Bird, a soul-drenched theme incorporating plaintive cries from the tenor, while guitar provides a murmuring undercurrent and accordion moves with the sax’s melody line before receding into a poignant matrix. These three players merge beautifully both in musical ideas and with a softly nuanced tonality, assisted greatly by Magnusson’s use of nylon strings.
Clube da Esquina opens with guitar and accordion establishing a relaxed latin
beat, then when the tenor first joins in it is almost indistinguishable so closely do the three instruments blend.
This CD has a unique sound, unusually moving, restrained yet authoritative, and at times quite magical.
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This review first appeared in The Weekend Australian and is republished with permission.
