AZIMUTH — Azimuth (review)

AZIMUTH — Azimuth album cover Album · 1977 · Post-Fusion Contemporary Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
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!
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