Martin Archer & Engine Room Favourites – “Safety Signal From A Target Town” (Discuss Music, 2018)

“Safety Signal From A Target Town” is the first album of new year – it’s released today, January 1, 2018. Vivacious, interesting and original album was recorded by a group of avant-garde jazz improvisers – it’s Martin Archer and ensemble “Engine Room Favourites”. This ensemble is formed by experienced, famous and creative improvisers – it’s Martin Archer (saxophones), Mick Beck (tenor saxophone, bassoon), Set Bennett (bass), Graham Clark (violin), Laura Cole (piano), Steve Dinsdale (percussion ), Peter fairclough (drums ), Johny Hunter (drums), Kim Macari (trumpet), George Murray ( trombone), Corey Mwamba (vibraphone), Walt Shaw (percussion) and Riley Stone-Lonergan (tenor saxophone, clarinet). Musicians improvisations are based on marvelous synthesis of different music styles – avant-garde jazz, contemporary academical music, bebop, hard-bop and many other jazz and academic music styles are gently combined together in one place. Sudden stylistic waves, spontaneous improvising, expressive and unique playing manner of each musicians of ensemble are the main elements which help to create original and interesting sound of this ensemble compositions.

Album compositions are based on masterful and spontaneous improvising, sudden changes of moods, styles and playing manners, collective improvisations and synthesis between various music styles. Collective improvisations are filled with memorable and vivacious melodies, which are independent and individual, dynamic rhythmic, expressive and furious improvising. Musicians use many playing techniques, innovative methods of playing, original and shocking musical decisions. These improvisations are based on contrasts – absolutely different episodes which are opposites to each other are put together one against other. Calm, relaxing and peaceful reeds solos, static rhythmic, restful piano improvisations at the beginning of the album are more similar to academic music composition, but it suddenly turns out to expressive, turbulent, vivacious and gorgeous collective improvisations. This turning and switching between absolutely different moods and playing manners is marvelous and masterful – it also shows ability to improvise masterfully and spontaneously and brings life, energy and expressive sound to the improvisations. Reeds melodies sometimes are very vivacious, versatile, bright and evocative, suddenly it turns to intensive and extremely powerful and loud or – to very calm and relaxing mood. Soft and vibrant violin melodies, expressive and sharp piano melodies and very solid percussion section create rich, bright and gorgeous sound of these improvisations. Wide range of colorful, strange, uncommon and extraordinary percussion timbres, soft and subtle vibraphones are put against very loud, active and furious drum rolls, solid and loud trombones and trumpets. It’s impossible to predict when this music will turn next – sometimes it sounds very furious and sharp and have all the basic elements of avant-garde jazz collective improvisations. Different, energetic, sharp and extremely expressive melodies are gently combined together in one improvisation. There’s also are heard some episodes which are more similar to contemporary jazz or traditional jazz styles – these episodes have calm melodies, admirable and relaxing solos, static and peaceful rhythmic and other main elements of traditional jazz styles. So this album music is always full of surprises, interesting and stunning musical decisions and have a marvelous and interesting sound. Bright, evocative and innovative musical language, masterful and original instrumentation, high variety of different music styles, marvelous and outstanding improvising – all these elements create original, vivacious, dynamic and gorgeous sound of these improvisations.