‘THE MAHOUT’ SLAMCD 318

Track 1

‘The Mahout’

11 minutes, 7 seconds.

Bergman, Haslam, Hession.

Trio improvisation by Borah Bergman piano, George Haslam tarogato and Paul Hession on drum set. This track was recorded 12 June 2003 and mixed 18 August 2003 by Ian Shepherd at SRT Studios, St Ives, England and remastered by Borah Bergman and Paul Geluso at Harvestworks studio in New York City, USA.

Track 2 ‘M.E.W.’

3 minutes 17 seconds.

Haslam.

Solo improvisation by George Haslam playing baritone saxophone and tarogato dedicated to the memory of Malcolm Earl Waldron. This solo track was recorded 23 October 2003 by Eric Smith and Alan Howells at Bullpen Studio, Oxfordshire, England.

Track 3

‘Streams’

8 minutes, 18 seconds.

Bergman.

Solo piano by Borah Bergman, recorded and mixed on 4, 10 and 15 September 2003 by Paul Geluso at Harvestworks Studio in New York City, USA.

Track 4

‘Ancient Stars’

7 minutes, 21 seconds.

Bergman, Haslam, Hession.

This is the second trio improvisation from the SRT Studio session on 12 June 2003 with Bergman piano, Hession drum set and this time Haslam on baritone saxophone.

Track 5

‘The Varmint (for Jack Elam)’

5 minutes, 23 seconds.

Hession.

Percussion solo by Paul Hession, recorded, mixed and mastered 15 October by Dave Caley at Pendle Hawk Studio, Colne, England.

Track 6

‘Dusk’

4 minutes, 47 seconds.

Bergman.

Solo piano improvisation by Borah Bergman, recorded and mastered by Paul Geluso at Harvestworks Studio as for track 3.

Track 7

‘Zircon’

8 minutes 22 seconds.

Bergman, Haslam, Hession.

Recorded and mastered at SRT Studio by Ian Shepherd, as track 1, and remastered by Borah Bergman and Paul Geluso at Harvestworks studio in New York City, USA. Bergman piano, Hession drum set and Haslam on tarogato and baritone saxophone.

The CD was compiled and mastered in November and December 2003 by Eric Smith at Bullpen Studio, Oxfordshire, England.

GEORGE HASLAM/BORAH BERGMAN/PAUL HESSION,

THE MAHOUT, SLAM 318.

The Mahout / M. E. W. / Streams / Ancient Stars / The Varmint (for

Jack Elam) / Dusk / Zircon. 48:23.

Haslam, bari s, tarogato; Bergman, p; Hession, d. June — October 2003, England and NYC, NY.

Energy Jazz is alive and kicking! Slam label boss George Haslam has long had a knack for creating challenging situations for himself, and this robust threeway encounter proves a success. He’s a restless player, whose avid search for new groupings and apparent mania for diving into seemingly inhospitable idioms recalls Herr Brötzmann (whose current instrumental druthers Haslam shares). Hession’s long tenure with the British avant-garde has found him playing mostly in the circle surrounding his colleague Simon H. Fell, with whom Hession has recorded some seriously hair-raising sessions. His fierce, frequently busy playing can often be mistaken for lacking detail and subtlety; in fact, Hession’s imagination (and hands, of course) simply move faster than most listener’s ears (hear this in his excellent solo piece, "The Varmint"). His partnership with Haslam was cemented on their 2002 duo album Pendle Hawk Carapace. Given the stylistic proclivities of two of these players, the fleet-fingered Bergman naturally fits in well with these fellows. The tart-toned tarogato dominates the rambunctious opener, which only occasionally gives you room to breathe. These guys simply launch themselves forward as soon as the tape is rolling, constructing and destroying ideas and exchanges with insane speed. The velocity and relentlessness of this music isn’t too far off from Death Metal, believe it or not. But despite this intensity, the lugubrious baritone opening to "M. E. W." gives a clue to the emotional heart of this music (although when Haslam blows both his horns at once it’s certainly an abstracted emotionalism). This proves only a brief interlude as Bergman comes crashing out to begin "Streams." The density and complexity of his phrasing, and the rapidity with which his ideas are pursued, are matched on this solo track only by the quality of his construction (since there is a clear, if unorthodox logic to this creation; it’s easier to sense this on the reflective "Dusk," which is almost like listening to one of Bergman’s knuckle-busters slowed down to 16rpm). When the trio reconvenes for the following track, there is a considerable clarity to the piece, with each musician pursuing a different and contrasting tempo which overlap and dissolve.

An invigorating recording.

Jason Bivins

Cadence August 2004

Paul Donelly, eJazzviews

Pretty much anything that George Haslam plays on is guaranteed to be worth listening to and this is no exception. Joining with demon pianist Bergman and long-term percussion associate Hession he helps create a trio that is overflowing with energy and invention. For this set there are three group improvisations plus two solos from the keyboard and one each from the other two. Naturally the trio work is fiery and explodes at you from the opening assault by Bergman. The title track is an all out torrent of sound with Haslam’s tarogato sounding at times a little like Mike Osborne’s alto, writhing and wrestling with lines that vary from intensely melodic to harsh and raw. Needless to say Bergman’s two fisted approach to the piano is in the foreground much of the time and its aggressive, edgy drive seems to push and inspire Haslam. I mean I’ve heard in him many contexts but this is one of the most exciting and demanding. He is just as capable though of offering a considered and reflective performance as on his tribute to Mal Waldron, ‘M.E.W.’ where he uses both baritone and tarogato. The two instruments meet in the middle of the track and their contrasting registers harmonize in a sombre, moving duet. It is a pity that Haslam couldn’t have afforded himself more solo space as this brief instance is one of the highlights of the CD for me. Bergman’s first solo piece couldn’t be further removed however. ‘Streams’ is aptly named as it features the streams of rhythm that course from the full length of the keyboard. It is restless music which never pauses for breath and is perhaps best heard in this solo context. His second piece, ‘Dusk’ demonstrates a more pensive side of his work, drawing on the emotions experienced at that time of day. There is space and light between the measured fall of notes though I wouldn’t call it lyrical, maybe impressionistic is a more fitting tag. I have to say I’m not that fond of the drum solo but Hession’s contribution, ‘The Varmint’, is a good deal more subtle and varied than some I could mention. Brushes graze the skins punctuated by softly rung or bowed cymbals and I was reminded of the work of Frank Perry at one point. Again there is light and space as well as rhythmic variation and I wasn’t tempted to skip the track, which is unusual. Haslam keeps coming up with interesting combinations, producing excellent results for those who like both his free improvisation and his more melodic inclinations. This set is certainly a worthy addition to a growing collection of essential work.

All About Jazz, May 2004-05-24

On The Mahout, three well established musicians meet, almost for the first time, and produce an album from thin air. Yes, this is free improvisation in the age of instancy, but this is still a remarkably spontaneous product. According to the brief liner notes, the trio met for a beer, then recorded the next morning. Evidently it was only one beer – these men are no college kids, and the music reveals no trace of hangover. The title track, if anything, might induce hangover-like feelings in the uninitiated listener, and would have most likely drained lesser players, but Bergman, Haslam and Hession hang on for a solo track apiece (plus one more for the garrulous Bergman), then take us out with another roof-raising trio.

The Mahout is not for everyone, and even a sympathetic listener may wish for more brevity. The opening track is 11 minutes of non-stop thrashing, though the following solo pieces provide space and serenity. Bergman is inevitably compared to Cecil Taylor, who seems to be truly appreciated by only a hardy few. No astute Taylor fan will mistake The Mahout for the frenetic free bop architect’s work, but it’s fair to say it’s in the same general category as Taylor’s small band stuff, and just as unvarnished. Bergman’s playing is densely textured, rarely spacious. While atonal, it manages at times also to be lyrical and lovely. Haslam’s baritone work is outstanding, and he also plays tarogato, switching from one to the other with astonishing speed, or playing them both simultaneously. Hession is a first rate drummer, and his solo segment is a high point on the record. Let’s hope to see this trio in New York soon.

Ty Cumbie

Ken Waxman, Jazz News:

BERGMAN/HASLAM/HESSION The Mahout SLAM CD 318 BURNS/COXHILL/EDWARDS/MINTON/RUSSELL Mopomoso solos 2002 Emanem 4100 Solo, duo and group improvisations are the connective strands that knit together these two British CDs. Both showcase contemporary improv from musicians young and old, though THE MAHOUT comes with a wildcard -- New York-based pianist Borah Bergman. Bergman, 77, who is older by far than any other participant -- British saxophonist Lol Coxhill, most elderly of the seven other musicians is six years his junior -- plays anything but than old age home jazz. As a matter of fact, the fire and intensity he brings to his two solos and three trios on THE MAHOUT almost overshadow the singular tinkering of most of the others. Individually, while each succeeds on his own terms, the pianist's work still provides a dictionary definition of Energy Music. Spurring on to greater heights George Haslam, 65, on baritone saxophone and tarogato and drummer Paul Hession, a callow youth of 48, Bergman makes the nearly 11-minute title track almost explode out of the box. With Bergman producing high frequency chording featuring supersonic runs, glissandos from both hands, Haslam smears out swirls and chirrups from both his horns, and Hession provides rough'n'ready bounces and triplets. Hession, who has backed Free Jazz saxophonists like Charles Wharf and Mick Beck, and Haslam who has traded reed licks with the likes of Coxhill and Evan Parker are obviously up to the Bergman challenge. Yet Bergman, whose fantasias are often able to cow reed partners as powerful as Parker and Oliver Lake, not to mention drummers like Hamid Drake and Andrew Cyrille often has the upper hands here -- and both of them are functioning like pistons throughout the disc. Breathing space is at a premium as the pianist works his way from top to bottom of the keyboard and scale at high velocity, with motifs and tremolos often fusing into a dense block of sound. Almost as impressive is "Zircon". But here Hession's press rolls and flams, Bergman's metronomic timekeeping and Haslam's alternate renal snorts and double-tongued eastern tone suggests what Cecil Taylor, Sunny Murray would have sounded like if baritonist Hamiett Bliuett had joined them in a trio. Producing flutter tongued, individual tones from either instrument that ostensibly resemble a low-pitched fog horn and a high-pitched air raid siren, Haslam, who is as comfortable recording in mainstream settings, proves that his energy is unflagging. Bergman key clips and inscribes spinning, circular motions around the other two, though at points it appears that he's mirroring the reed lines. Solo, Bergman brings the same flash to those tracks, but tempers it with suggestions of jazz history. "Dusk" is an emotional ballad taken at medium tempo, which includes a melancholy tinge you would associate with the title. "Streams" finds runs doubled, tripled or quadruped. Emphasizing the vibrations of almost every key, he escapes equal temperament by appending a bit of inverted boogie woogie to the solo and ends with a ragtime tickler's flourish. Hession's solo track involves compressed snare and cymbal work and vibrating undertones, while Haslam's skirt gloom by amplifying the grainy qualities of the taragoto playing it in unison with the baritone's pitch vibratos.

Wire, April 2004

It’s easy to admire pianist Borah Bergman’s characteristic flint and fire, harder to enjoy it unequivocally when experienced at length. His ambidextrous technique is astonishing but its unyielding intensity can soon overwhelm and stifle. George Haslam has wisely if pragmatically ventilated this set of three trio pieces with solo improvisations that cast welcome shadows into the glare.

Haslam becomes tender remembering Mal Waldron, while Paul Hession’s "The Varmint" pays tribute to character actor Jack Elam. "The Dusk", one of Bergman’s two solos, is bathed in crepuscular shade, and "Streams", while not exactly reflexive, is satisfyingly variegated. The trios, ranging from animated to frenetic, show well Hession’s capacity for tough yet flexible responses which add inflections to Bergman’s volubility. Haslam’s tarogato and baritone saxophone, clearly primed for the occasion, run fibre through the music’s mineral gullies.

Julian Cowley