Sean Trane Third (and AFAIK, last) album from this trio-project encompassing hubby & wife Norma Winstone and John Taylor (vocals and keys respectively) along with Canadian, but long-time Brit-scene activist Ken Wheeler on trumpet. Actually there is a twist to Départ, since they are joined by Oregon’s guitarist Ralph Towner, but it’s not that clear if that was a permanent move or just a temporary invitation. I guess we’ll never know since this was to be their last album, to my knowledge anyway and it was recorded some 18 months after Touchstone in late 79 and released early next year. I’d love to tell you that Towner’s arrival in the project drastically changed the group’s direction and strongly affected their soundscape, but alas, it’s not really the case. Yeah, sure; there is somewhat a difference with the added acoustic guitar, but it’s really nothing all that fundamental to the group’s nature. Well let me expand a bit further: yes, musically the group is a bit different, but I don’t feel that it’s so much due to Towner’s presence (well it helps, but it’s probably not determinant) as some of these tracks (six in all, three aside again) are rather different than the previous two albums’; but it’s more to do with Taylor’s songwriting proper exploring a slightly increased set of sonic possibilities, more than Towner’s presence on guitar proper. Not sure I explained myself properly, though. Soooo, IMHO, and all respect due to the great Ralph.

Some tracks develop some eerier soundscapes (in no small part due to Norma’s vocals) than on Touchstone of their debut album, like the four-movement Touching Point suite (counted as individual tracks on the Cd reissue), but my preference goes to the 10-mins+ title-track. The album is book-ended by the Longest Day and its reprise theme. So, in some ways, whatever might make the present album more interesting for the attentive listener might just be the casual listener’s inconvenience as Départ is much less likely to serve as mating music as the previous two albums (not that I warmly recommended them as such), but it also loses the insomnia-treatment qualities of its predecessors, despite not being that much less soporific. Indeed the increased eeriness of the present album diminishes its lullaby qualities. Nevertheless, I find Départ their more interesting album, but this remains still a fairly conventional ECM product, which was not really my thing.

Sean Trane Second album from this trio/project encompassing hubby & wife Norma Winstone and John Taylor (vocals and keys respectively) along with Canadian, but long-time Brit-scene activist Ken Wheeler on trumpet. Recorded the following year of the debut, you’ll get essentially the same soundscapes already heard before. Indeed their jazzy new-age musical universe certainly didn’t undergo a big bang or encounter a black hole. Just plain ol’ & safe space cruising between already-explored galaxies, certainly not venturing much outside the beaten paths. Taylor’s rather entertaining piano and calm compositions, coupled with Wheeler’s always flattering trumpet are the main assets in a rather uneventful balladry sprawled over some six tracks (three aside). Norma’s generally wordless vocals are closer to aerial incantations and provide a typical signature for Azimuth. Of course to avoid too much repetition, Taylor switches to organ or synths, but this usually results in an even-slower pace. Generally Touchstone is a tad gentler on the ears than its predecessor as Norma doesn’t engage in some pips and squeals that border the dissonant. Although this type of new-agey jazz is not my cup of tea, the soundscapes available on this album are still soothing enough, and might even be a cure to your insomnias. A typical ECM product, not much to add, really!

Sean Trane First album of three from this semi-experimental trio-project encompassing hubby & wife Norma Winstone and John Taylor (vocals and keys respectively) along with Canadian, but long-time Brit-scene activist Ken Wheeler on trumpet. All three albums were released on the now-unavoidable German label ECM and to be quite honest, they were a perfect on that label. Recorded in 77, the self-titled album was certainly still rather groundbreaking for the era, despite these kinds of album starting to multiply on that very label.

Whether one should classify azimuth in jazz (they certainly are) or in the New-Age category (well sounds very reasonable to do so as well) is up to the listener, but if you’re aware of the ECM-sound (as wide as it may be) or ECM aesthetics, you’re bound to find few surprises here. Indeed in the absence of a rhythm section (both bass & drums are absent), one shouldn’t expect fast-paced tracks and you simply won’t: nothing above 5 bpm and even the piano doesn’t (or rarely) play rhythm. Sooooo the charm from the music will come mainly from Taylor’s piano or synth layers and Wheeler’s usual dramatic trumpet wails. Norma’s vocals can range from slow chants and incantations to almost outrageous pips and squeals ala Julie Tippetts (with her own hubby Keith in the Mujician or similar projects), but this is rather rare. However, don’t go jumping to conclusions either: Azimuth’s soundscapes are absolutely nothing dissonant, outside the just-mentioned pips and squeals. Six tracks (three aside) that are very similar to each other, giving a very cohesive ambiance (did I say “ambient”?) for the duration of the album.

Although this type of new-agey jazz is not my cup of tea, the soundscapes available on this album are still soothing enough, and might even be a cure to your insomnias. A typical ECM product, not much to add, really!