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Half a century into his musical career, English reed player John Surman continues to find outlets to explore a wide variety of introspective compositions. Invisible Threads, out on ECM, finds Surman exploring folk and world music, accompanied by pianist Nelson Ayres and mallet percussionist Rob Waring. The album features Surman's woodwind melodies bouncing atop piano and vibraphone/marimba patterns so smoothly that it becomes almost impossible to tell what is improvised and what is not.
Surman's trio is an ensemble of the world, with Ayers hailing from Brazil and Waring from Oslo via New York. Both players are accomplished composers and performers in their own right, and bring unique flavor to Surman's sonic table. The small and well-entwined rhythm section, beneath Manfred Eicher's ethereal production, are reminiscent of ......
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