Laura Cole’s writing and arrangements for Metamorphic draw heavily on her experience of RSI as a musician, and the subsequent depression that she battled with as a result. Now fully recovered, Coalescence is an attempt to chart this journey through music and words. The album title represents a theme of consolidation within the music, and the idea of moving forward; Coalescence also represents a bringing together of musicians from the North and South of the UK, with the appearance on the album of special guests Chris Montague on guitar (Troyka), Bradford-based Seth Bennett on double bass (IDST) and the Leeds-based big band The Bennett Cole Orchestra. Coalescence is a collection of largely song-based emotional journeys, juxtaposing original material and arrangements of well-known pieces. The background to this music also draws from an interest in textures, music in dreams and the translation of transformative emotional experiences through composition and performance. Laura - who admits to influences from Carla Bley and Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra to Moondog, Stravinsky and DJ Shadow - also co-leads a Leeds-based improvising big band, The Bennett Cole Orchestra, with bassist Seth Bennett, and she is also part of Martin Archer’s group Engine Room Favourites. PERSONNEL TRACK-LIST
TECHNICAL INFO F-IRECD 59 C&P Laura Cole 2013. MCPS. All rights reserved. Recorded at Eastcote Studios, London, April 2012 by Philip Bagenal and George Murphy (* Track 10 was recorded at Savile and Chrome Studios, Leeds, by Barkley McKay, April 2012; first mix also by Barkley McKay at Valley Wood Studio, Leeds) Special guests: Mixed and mastered by Will Worsley at Coda-Cola Studios, London. Painting on the front cover 'London By Night' by Hilde Kjeps | www.hildekjepso.com Artwork Design: Art Underground | www.artunderground.co.uk LINER NOTES Laura Cole’s writing and arrangements for Metamorphic draw heavily on her experience of RSI as a musician, and the subsequent depression that she battled with as a result. Now fully recovered, Coalescence is an attempt to chart this journey through music and words. The album title represents a theme of consolidation within the music, and the idea of moving forward; Coalescence also represents a bringing together of musicians from the North and South of the UK, with the appearance on the album of special guests Chris Montague on guitar (Troyka), Bradford-based Seth Bennett on double bass (IDST) and the Leeds-based big band The Bennett Cole Orchestra. Coalescence is a collection of largely song-based emotional journeys, juxtaposing original material and arrangements of well-known pieces. The background to this music also draws from an interest in textures, music in dreams and the translation of transformative emotional experiences through composition and performance. Laura - who admits to influences from Carla Bley and Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra to Moondog, Stravinsky and DJ Shadow - also co-leads a Leeds-based improvising big band, The Bennett Cole Orchestra, with bassist Seth Bennett, and she is also part of Martin Archer’s group Engine Room Favourites. Some of the music on Coalescence is inspired by dreams; the opening piece, Puma, is an account of a powerful dream Cole had about becoming a puma. The main groove on the last piece of the album, Light Up Yourself, also came to Laura in a dream. Elsewhere, Cole’s arrangement of Radiohead’s Reckoner emphasises and brings out the lush textures on the strings. The Juicemaster is inspired by alto sax player Pete Grogan’s juice making abilities and the piece What Is Real asks what is real in this online age. Little Woman, Lonely Wing is an arrangement of Jimi Hendrix’s Little Wing and Ornette Coleman’s Lonely Woman, fused with some compositional ideas of Cole’s. The arrangement of Kenny Wheeler’s Gentle Piece was on the very first Metamorphic recording, an EP called Recovery Suite, and Cole wanted to revisit this arrangement again. Flotsam And Jetsam represents a gathering together of debris from a psychological wreckage, making it whole and shipshape again; and it is this ability to pull together many disparate ideas, textures and sounds and create a powerful, lasting whole that makes the music of Metamorphic so compelling and marks Cole out as a major talent. REVIEWS 04/07/2013, John Fordham, The Guardian - 4 star 05/06/2013, Ian Mann - jazzmann.com “Coalescence” represents a very worthy follow up to “The Rock Between”. Once again it’s a highly personal record that embraces several different musical genres in an interesting and distinctive way. Cole is developing a unique conceptual and compositional style that makes Metamorphic one of the most interesting groups around on the UK scene. The blend of voice and instruments is particularly effective with Andrew now even more fully integrated into the band’s sound. Cole herself is content once more to remain part of the ensemble, there are virtually no piano solos bar a brief flurry at the end of the Radiohead piece, but it’s her vision and writing and arranging skills that form the core of an increasingly unique group sound. read more: http://www.thejazzmann.com/reviews/review/metamorphic-coalescence/ Coalescence receives another 4 star review from Brian Morton in the August 2013 edition of Jazz Journal: ‘utterly remarkable music [...] if it’s not my record of the year, that can only be because something still more extraordinary has come along between now and Hogmanay. And I somehow doubt that.’ Jazz on 3 presenter, Jez Nelson, July 2013: ‘Amazingly original compositions – I don’t think I’ve heard anything quite like it!’ Pianist Alex Wilson, July 2013: ‘Like all great art, Metamorphic gets the pulse racing from the get-go’ Review of Coalescence by Nick Lea here: www.jazzviewsinterviews.weebly.com Interview of Laura Cole by Nick Lea here: www.jazzviewsinterviews.weebly.com Coalescence receives 4 star review from Peter Quinn at Jazzwise, June 2013: ‘[...] a compelling and ear catching collection [...] Laura Cole has one of the most distinctive compositional voices around.’ Jazz UK on Coalescence, June 2013: ‘A good example of the imagination on display is ‘Little Woman, Lonely Wing’, Cole’s ingenious splicing of Jimi Hendrix and Ornette Coleman [...] listeners will find much to admire.’ In-depth profile of Laura Cole from Rob Edgar at LondonJazz: www.londonjazznews.com Press for The Rock Between: ‘Metamorphic’s The Rock Between is a brave, honest yet beguiling record [...] Impressively executed.’ – Jazz UK ‘[A] consistently intriguing and clearly heartfelt album […] this is a rich, emotionally satisfying album that reveals fresh subtleties each time it’s played.’ – Chris Parker, LondonJazz.com ‘The Rock Between is a form of musical alchemy, an attempt to transmute [these] dark materials into a nugget of artistic gold [...] lushly scored [...]’ – Dan Spicer, Jazzwise ‘A fascinating record that shows considerable promise.’ – Ian Mann, thejazzmann.com ‘The music and performances on The Rock Between have rare strength and beauty.’ – Bruce Lindsay, All About Jazz ‘This is a really new and exciting British band, I definitely recommend them to you.’ – Peter Slavid, ukjazzradio.com ‘I like the spirit of this music very much! The voice works great too in the instrumental canvas. And nice writing and tunes… poetic… lovely!’ – Iain Ballamy ‘[...] very honest, interesting and atmospheric music and lovely performances.’ – Norma Winstone ‘Metamorphic gave a most remarkable, even breathtaking performance [...] at the Forge, Camden.’ – Richard Sharm, Rainlore’s World of Music ‘[...] intricate and amazingly human arrangements [...] Live performances should always be like this!’ – Gordon Wedderburn, JazzMoods Live LINKS www.f-ire.com |
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