Nat Birchall Sextet - Exaltation - Live in Athens Vol.1
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Nat Birchall Sextet - Exaltation / Vol.1
Live recording in Athens / 20 Oct. 2018
Coming out 4 December 2020
Parafono


In October of 2018 Nat Birchall took his quartet to Athens for a series of three concerts. On the final night they were joined by two Greek musicians, ney player Harris Lambrakis and drummer Nikos Sidirokastritis. (The ney is an ancient end-blown flute which is at least 4,500 years old and was played in Ancient Egypt.) Both musicians play together regularly in the Harris Lambrakis Quartet, which operates in a musical area not dissimilar to that of Nat’s groups, so their coming together was a natural occurrence and produced music of a particular beauty. The sextet played compositions both by Nat and also by Harris and Nikos, this first volume of recordings from that night showcases one by Nikos and two by Nat.

Side 1 has Nikos’ ‘For Michalis’, which was composed as a eulogy for a lost friend. The side-long track opens with a sensitive drum duet before Harris’ ney introduces the haunting melody. The song features all the musicians in turn, moving through many different moods of varying intensity, giving the piece a suite-like quality.

Side two opens with Nat’s ‘Exaltation’ which is a new, previously unrecorded song which beautifully conveys a feeling of elation. The exalted mood is upheld throughout the song and the tumbling, free meter adds to the sense of joyous abandon. The final song...
Released December 4, 2020

Nat Birchall – Tenor saxophone
Harris Lambrakis – Ney
Adam Fairhall – Piano
Seth Bennett – Bass
Andy Hay – Drums/percussion
Nikos Sidirokastritis – Drums
Recorded live in concert in Athens, October 20th 2018