| Jazz |
An acoustic quartet as we love them, for contemporary jazz, urban and with a confident aesthetic. An introduction worthy of an American auteur film score, showing you black and white images of a car driving along a coastal road—you can imagine whatever you want, as everyone has their own interpretation. The pretext here is to show you that this music encourages daydreaming… Watson describes his music as “complex but melodic,” drawing inspiration from contemporary jazz, Scottish folk music, impressionist classical music, and his heroes Aaron Parks, Kit Downes, and Larry Grenadier to leave his own distinctive mark on modern Scottish jazz.
European jazz does not follow the same kind of writing as American jazz; Europe generally trains musicians through classical music, which often gives this more visual form of jazz, as most of the time, the melodies are quite refined. Here, they are elevated by orchestral architecture and sumptuous arrangements. Beginning most of his compositions on the upright piano in his mother’s house, Watson finds that the security and solitude he experiences there allow him to enter a spontaneous and uninhibited mindset, without being influenced by the outside world. With a deeper listen, you will likely sense the folk influences, often well hidden but clearly inspiring the development of certain musical themes.
Ali Watson talks to us about the title of this album: “I called my album *Terrarium* mainly because I wanted to create a work that really immerses you in its own universe. Like a terrarium, it has its own atmosphere and explores the boundaries between nature and culture—the terrarium is initially artificially created and, over time, nature begins to take over.”
There is currently in England a young generation of artists, all more impressive than the others, and Ali Watson is one of its worthy representatives, perfectly building and shaping his universe to create a style unlike any other. Culture is important here; in the musical writing, although very melodic, there is a hard edge, which I believe is also related to the Scottish climate that teaches its inhabitants to endure stormy days. Only those who have spent time in the north of Scotland in the heart of winter know what I mean.
This is also what gives this uncompromising aesthetic form, united by friendship, a common foundation of influences, and similar approaches to collective musical creation. Watson’s quartet brings together some of the most celebrated and sought-after voices in young Scottish jazz—the multi-award-winning Alan Benzie on piano, Edition Records saxophonist Matt Carmichael (Fergus McCreadie, WDR Big Band, corto.alto), and the highly in-demand Greg Irons on drums. These are musicians we inevitably want to know better, to follow, as their work here is the work of passionate individuals, a passion that envelops the listener in a form of writing close to a novel, like those Paul Auster used to write. Behind this music, there are artists, humans, with their joys, dreams, and also their wounds. The result is these works that speak to our hearts—no doubt this is also what art should provide, an emotional form that leaves no one indifferent. Youth doesn’t wait for the passing of years. We are including this album in our “Essentials” as a way to acknowledge this beautiful work.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, October 12th 2024
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