'Vol. 01 & 02' by Distant Birds

Performing under the collective guise of Distant Birds, Chris Abrahams and Dave Symes come together for a gloriously ambitious project that revels within the notion of improvisation, collaboration and an unhindered perspective of multi-faceted jazz (and beyond).

Comprising of four suites - averaging at approximately fifteen minutes each - 'Vol. 01 & 02' finds its architects recontextualising their own musical make-up with the intention of presenting an album that roots itself within a free-flowing contemporary jazz aesthetic, subsequently embracing soul and dub stylings as part of its presentation.  

Music that embraces ambition and out-of-the-box thinking is surely nothing new for Abrahams and Symes.  As a founding member of the experimental jazz trio The Necks, Abrahams has consistently sought out the unbeaten path in a bid to express his idealistic musical vision.  Having notched up a career spanning five decades, the New Zealand-born, Australian-based pianist can further boast collaborations alongside Melanie Oxley, the Triffids, Skunkhour, Midnight Oil and Wendy Matthews amongst countless others.  

For bassist Symes, much of the music he has become synonymous with over the years has been rooted within the success and achievements of indie band Boy & Bear.  Having now accumulated six albums to their name, Symes still finds time to serve as a noted collaborator in his own right chalking up work with Kate Leahy, Jade MacRae, Marcia Hines and Sarah Blasko.

Despite the litany of projects both Symes and Abrahams have been affiliated with over the years, Distant Birds seems to demonstrate an incredible meeting-of-the-minds for the duo with each using the project to wholly embrace new ideas and concepts explored in ways each may never have fully been able to in the past.  And affording Symes and Abrahams this far-reaching and boundless musical playground in which to plunder, explore and celebrate are those fine folks over at Earshift Music.  With Earshift having a fairly sensational run of new music within the last twelve months - including projects by Jeremy Rose, I Hole the Lion's Paw and The Vampires - 'Vol. 01 & 02' rank inconceivably high for the label's output this year continuing to position them as leaders for progressive and contemporary jazz.

With 'Vol. 01' comprised of 'Drill' and 'Sea Grass' while 'Vol. 02' presents 'Spirit Level' and 'Driver', the Distant Birds ensemble is further made up of drummer Evan Manell, trumpeter Ellen Kirkwood and saxophonist Matt Ottignon.  

Four tracks totalling a whopping sixty-seven minutes is understandably an intimidating premise for jazz fans that can be put off by excessively long, spiritually-infused compositions but each of the album's four compositions just ooze all the charm and personality needed to execute a project of such incredible scope.  Seamlessly flitting between genres and styles, 'Drill', 'Sea Grass', 'Spirit Level' and 'Driver' effortlessly touch on styles from afrobeat to dub to spiritual jazz tendencies that find its players openly falling into the concept of unhindered creation and innovation.

Ingeniously earnest but never indulgent, in lesser hands 'Vol. 01 & 02' could have become a project that disappeared under the weight of its own ambitious.  Thankfully though, the Distant Birds project is one that ultimately succeeds in the light of its human connection, artist interplay and sublime textures.