The Spiral Trio is made up of Greek musicians Spyros Manesis (piano), Arionas Gyftakis (double bass) and Anastasis Gouliaris (drums), all three of whom have contributed to the composition and improvisation of the unique and colourful music on 'Broken Blue'.
These three musicians are unequivocal about their approach to modern jazz on this album, embodying an approach to improvisation characterised by abstraction, lack of figuration, asymmetry, and constant and intense interaction between the soloist and the accompanying musicians. Together they seek an increasing sense of freedom in their approach to melody, harmony, rhythm, phrasing and form, resulting in an album that is an exploration of different episodes, different possibilities or versions of such an approach. Each episode is an original composition, written to tell a unique story, to create a distinct musical place.
'Broken Blue' is the fruit of a long creative journey: the distillation of the Trio's collaborative processes. The pieces included on 'Broken Blue' reflect experiences they have shared as a group during the last four years. The music is pure and dense, changing in personality and mood, yet consistently adventurous. The sound of the album is often bright, full of dialogue and playfulness; at other times sombre, with darker overtones. There are moments ranging from nostalgia to effervescence to sweetness. Throughout, the music reflects the inner worlds of each musician and the way this interacts with the other members of the Trio, creating a spontaneous and compelling listening experience.
