Sean Trane Well, I was definitely more familiar with the Norma(l) side of the Taylor-Winstone couple’s works, but when I saw the hubby’s abNorma(l) RnR artwork for a jazz album, I had to rent it out to lay an ear on it, and not just because of the cute Winstone chick. I certainly was even more intrigued by seeing such names as the expected Winstone and Wheeler, but the more-surprising (for moi, anyway) Surman and Pyne names on the back cover.

The A-side’s dual title tracks are separated by the all-sails-deployed White Magic, a wild 16 knots/h piece, with Surman’s sax activating the turbo commands then ceding the wheel to Taylor’s piano. Wild stuff, dudes & dudettes. But prior to Norma(l)’s seduction spells, the Pause piece had already laid its charms on you, where the four-horn section take centre-stage, in spite of Taylor’s excellent piano parts. Sandwiching the magic is the Think Again piece, which is somewhat a return to down to earth idea(l)s

The flipside is a little tougher on the eardrums, though with the dissonant Awakening (no doubt it will ;o)) that leads slowly in a difficult Eye To Eye discussion about keeping distance from Norma(lity). Taylor’s sultry piano parts are brought on by the closing 11-mins Soft Winds, as you gladly escape away in the course of the Interlude, where Norma sings an all-too conventional farewell to your lustful illusions over Laurence’s bowed contrabass.

Well I’m not sure what flying tomatoes have to do with frozen trial motorbikes, but this strange RnR-like combination certainly caught my eyes, and the trick was successful, because I “suddenly” became aware (well sort of) that Norma had a significant second-half to be accounted with. Most likely, this fusionhead will certainly be on the lookout for musical traces of the hubby around the bend for his mental safety. Then you suddenly start figuring out Taylor used Norma’s minimal presence just as a ploy to entice you (the baited prey) into the album, as she’s there for only one track. What a sly plan, man!