Alister Spence Trio - Gather (2025)

Alister Spence – piano, samples
Lloyd Swanton – double bass
Toby Hall – drums, glockenspiel

It’s been seven years since our last Alister Spence Trio release Not Everything but Enough and, while it has been and continues to be wonderful collaborating with Ed Kuepper in Asteroid Ekosystem, there is something very special about the connection and interplay Lloyd, Toby, and I enjoy as a trio. This has built up gradually over our almost-thirty-year history of performing together.

The eight pieces on Gather showcase compositions by Spence and improvisations and transformations by the members of the trio separately and together, sometimes in a free space, sometimes more formally constrained. The opening track, The Gathering features an insistent piano right-hand ostinato and forceful lower register melody played in unison on double bass and piano. Piano samples are introduced by Spence and continue in the free-ranging improvised section of the piece (as they are in live performance) to develop and augment the atmosphere.

Homeland Introduction is an open solo piano improvisation played by Spence working with rapid alternating hand patterns and rhythms.
Homeland is a reflective piece written to feature Lloyd Swanton’s outstanding double bass playing. Solos are by Spence (with accompaniment by Hall on glockenspiel), then Swanton, to conclude. Crossed Over is a more up-tempo hybrid of jazz and free jazz. It begins with a three-way improvisation over the form of the piece. The melody is in two parts: the piano part is a rhythmic patterning that deliberately obscures the metre and does not overtly outline melodic content. The double bass countermelody has its own logic. Solos are played on the form by Swanton, then Spence. Hall solos on drums over the second section of the piece before a return to the melody.
Beginning of the End of the Beginning is an elegiac chordal through-composed piece, a reflection on the passing of time. It is played as written with a rubato feel by Spence while Swanton and Hall interpret and colour. The group improvisation coda is a more broadly sonic exploration with Spence playing prepared piano and some percussion.

Falling From the Top of the Sky is a piece written over a changing metric ground, played at a medium slow tempo in a swing jazz style. The piece begins with an open solo by Hall before he sets up the tempo. Solos on the form of the piece are by Spence, then Swanton.
Moment Between starts with an open double bass solo played by Swanton. After this a short melody is played out of time in unison on piano and double bass, with Hall providing colouristic drum accompaniment. Spence establishes time and improvises over a simple harmonic scheme before continuing freely unaccompanied. To finish there is a return to out-of-time melody with expressive bowed bass solo by Swanton. Antidote for Lean Times began life as an open, tonally-open piano improvisation by Spence that was then transcribed and learnt. A two-bar sixteenth note ostinato bass and drum pattern underpins the piece, stopping abruptly at various points before restarting or moving into a three-way open improvisation. The second section of the piece returns to finish.
We are delighted with this album and hope you enjoy Gather!
Kind regards

Alister Spence