Manchester-based trumpeter, composer and improviser Graham South's previous work with Beats & Pieces Big Band, Johnny Hunter Quartet and Anton Hunter's Article XI has established him as a key player on the local and national improvisation scenes. On his debut as leader, South's mature, emotionally direct playing is matched by three regular collaborators who together take the strong source material through a set of volatile landscapes.
'By And By' is the culmination of a project which began auspiciously as a commission from conductor Marcus Farnsworth and Southwell Music Festival back in 2018, and brings together some of the most recognisable improvisers on the Manchester and wider UK scenes. Graham invited Beats & Pieces bandmate Richard Jones (piano) to join him, Johnny Hunter (drums) & Seth Bennett (bass) - a trio at the core of Efpi labelmates Johnny Hunter Quartet - to form the Graham South Quartet.
The album is a collection of the choral Spirituals that glue together the movements of Michael Tippett's oratorio "A Child of Our Time", delicately arranged by Graham for this project. The Spirituals themselves combine strong religious imagery with a broader symbolic struggle ushered in by their context - all originated as songs sung by African American slaves in America, with the strong liberatory tone of the lyrics offering hope of eventual triumph through strife. Maintaining an appreciation for the music's origins whilst also carving out a space for creativity was something deeply important in Graham's approach to the album.
The quartet's approach to space and structure make for a highly engaging listen. For fans of Ambrose Akinmusire & Miles Davis, Terry Riley & Tomasz Stanko and even Michael Tippett, this album sheds new light on these most enduring of melodies.
