| Jackson Harrison is a brilliant young pianist / composer who brings
fresh perspectives to the traditional piano trio through his thoughtful and sensitive compositions. – Mike Nock
Harrison's attitude to the work—his regard for the fundamental mystery of the creative process—bodes well for the future: "When playing I am not attempting to 'make' or construct something, I'm just trying to let the music dance, which is the more difficult path to take. That is what all the real masters, like Miles, do. It's not technical mastery, but an openness which is more powerful, vital and mysterious, and not so easily explained." – Stuart Broomer
Recorded December 30th at Systems Two, Brooklyn NY.
This studio set marks twenty-six year old Australian pianist Jackson Harrison’s recording debut.
And when you take into consideration that he’s being presented on this prestigious Swiss progressive
jazz label, well…that notion alone should generate some curiosity. With the New York City-based
rhythm section of drummer Dan Weiss and bassist Thomas Morgan providing the variable
undercurrents, the concepts expounded upon here defy the norm. Harrison is a textural painter of
ideas who tends to view the larger picture. Therefore, this isn’t about a young man who intends on
exciting the jazz world with Art Tatum-like chops. On the contrary, the pianist’s compositions are
prismatic in scope and designed with great depth.
The trio executes a sequence of budding dynamics as they merge conventional piano trio mechanisms
with unorthodox metrics. On the piece “Rivers And Oceans” Harrison simplifies matters with a 2-chord
motif, counterbalanced by Weiss’ ongoing reconfigurations. They render pulsating grooves, firmed up
by solid backbeats, swing vamps, and ample stretching room, largely enamored by airy passages and
thought-provoking nuances. Harrison’s animated chord voicings generally equate to the reengineering
of a particular melody line, where the rhythmic component sometimes serve as contrapuntal statements.
Overall, Harrison is an “idea-man,” who conveys remarkable maturity as each subsequent listen reveals
subtle revelations. – Glenn Astarita
|