MEZZO is an album documenting a dazzling partnership between the mezzo-soprano saxophone and piano, featuring the finely honed talents of Tim Garland and Geoffrey Keezer.
AN INTUITIVE PARTNERSHIP
MEZZO, recorded in a duo format, features Tim Garland (mezzo-soprano and soprano saxophones) and Geoffrey Keezer (piano). The album draws on a 25-year musical friendship and was captured live in a single five-hour session in New York. Featured on four new Tim Garland compositions, is the rare mezzo-soprano saxophone made especially for him, around which the compositions were shaped. The instrument has a register between soprano and alto.
The album’s other tracks include compositions by Chick Corea, Erik Satie, Mulgrew Miller, Cole Porter, and Geoffrey Keezer. All feature the mezzo-soprano saxophone except for two where Tim Garland plays the soprano saxophone. The recordings are built around scored passages and free improvisation. It is an album of dazzling invention, reflecting a deep trust and intuitive partnership between the two musicians.
MUSIC IMBUED WITH AN IRRESISTIBLE OPTIMISM
Opening track on the album is La Fiesta, a composition by the late great Chick Corea. Tim Garland himself had a long association with Chick Corea. It’s nearly eight-minute length allows the musicians the space to fully form their interpretation, exploring a myriad of fascinating tributaries. There is a wonderfully playful quality to the playing, as if both the piano and mezzo-soprano saxophone are engaged in a dance partnership, where the Viennese Waltz meets be-bop. The music flows through light and airy passages, interspersed with spiky percussive interjects, with their navigation of challenging time signatures, a thrilling listening experience. It is a piece of music to play at the beginning of a day, imbued as it is with an irresistible optimism.
Gnossienne No.1, by Erik Satie, takes the musicians to a more meditative destination. It is a piece that fully highlights the beautifully warm tone of Tim Garland’s mezzo-soprano saxophone playing. To The One Who Flies, a Tim Garland composition, is threaded throughout with Geoffrey Keezer’s strikingly rhythmic melodies, where his piano feels to be quite literally flying out of the speakers. A pair of magnificent tracks.
A MESMERISING USE OF SPACE AND TIMING
Mulgrew Miller’s Carousel is a mid-album high point. Geoffrey Keezer’s piano work here is wonderfully uplifting, with percussive, blues-based playing, alternating with some sparkling emotionally charged runs. Tim Garland’s soprano saxophone leads an intoxicating mid-song swing section that literally swoops and ascends. The duo offer a beautifully meandering take on the Cole Porter standard, Every Time We say Goodbye. There is a mesmerising use of space and timing, providing a platform for the captivating essence of the song to be fully realised. It was apparently recorded in a single take and underlines the sympathetic understanding between the two players.
Geoffrey Keezer’s Ghost In The Photograph, has a striking contrast between deep resonant notes played on the piano, and soaring saxophone phrases. The wistful impressionistic tones of the piece create a melancholic mood tinged with joyful moments. The final track, The Waves Between, written by Tim Garland, has a lovely folk like ambiance. Tim Garland’s mezzo-soprano saxophone excels here at communicating emotion and connection, with a lilting cadence. Geoffrey Keezer’s piano work matches this intensity with his bright and characterful playing. It is a soundscape that conjures up a series of pastoral vignettes and the sound of nature, particularly water. The seamless flow between the two instruments hypnotically draws the listener in.
AN IMPROVISATIONAL JOURNEY WITH PURPOSE AND INTENT
This album offers a compelling form of music that is evocative and beautifully layered. Played by two musicians who have an almost magical instinct for each other’s playing. An instinct that allows them to travel an improvisational journey with purpose and intent. The results that flow through this suite of music are stunning and highly rewarding for the listener who takes the journey with them.
You can view here Satie’s Gnossienne No.1 played on a mezzo-soprano sax by Tim Garland at the Church of St. John Glastonbury:
Tim Garland: Website
Geoffrey Keezer: Website