Michael Garrick - 1972 - Cold Mountain

Michael Garrick Trio

1972

Cold Mountain

01. Proclamation 5:35

02. Firstborn 4:10

03. Prayer 6:57

04. Annunciation 7:14

05. Thanksgiving Dance 6:08

06. Cold Mountain 13:15

07. Miranda Sleeping 4:57

Double Bass – Dave Green

Drums – Trevor Tomkins

Piano – Michael Garrick

Recorded at Audio-International Studios, London, April 6 & 7, 1972.

Michael Garrick liked to flirt on the periphery of jazz, but , unlike some of his British contemporaries, he didn’t embrace the jazz-rock style that flourished around him. That’s why he continued to make trio recordings, like this one from 1972. Garrick’s jazz is not driven by the rhythm section, it swings lightly, and the three instruments maintain a delicate balance. This set, especially, has that floating quality which runs through most of his music, including his larger ensembles. It’s an intimate listening experience in which every note counts and just the right amount are used to express the idea, or the mood, that Garrick is looking for. Where he might feel the drummer needn’t play – the drummer doesn’t play!... It seems simple enough, but usually a jazz drummer likes to stay on his hi-hat or ride cymbal as much as possible. Of course, Garrick’s jazz isn’t all that different, but his compositions are meticulously arranged and their ebb and flow carefully controlled so that excessive force need never be applied. When the composition moves away from recognized jazz though, it’s difficult to say where it goes – folk-like, hymn-like, pseudo-classical.... Certainly much of Garrick’s playing is expressionistic, especially the title track – climbing the cold mountain face only to find the peak too (spiritually) intense and to tumble back down – but it isn’t avant-gard, in the way some parts of Moonscape are.

This is a cohesive set, truly fascinating, not a massive statement perhaps, but with a quality and consistency that flew in the face of what was happening at the time. Garrick at his lyrical best.

Pianist / composer Michael Garrick has been an icon of British Jazz for the last five decades. His exquisite touch on the keyboards, deep lyricism and unparalleled inventiveness as a composer characterize his entire legacy over time, which has very little rivalry or precedence. This album presents Garrick in the most intimate (and my favorite) Jazz format – the piano trio – with Dave Green on bass and Trevor Tomkins on drums. Garrick, as usual, wrote all the music, which is sublime from start to finish. His playing is also absolutely marvelous, full of lyricism and humorous spark, virtuosity and inspiration. The rhythm section provides solid and sympathetic support at all times, and overall this is one of my favorite piano trio recordings ever. Garrick manages to concentrate his enormous abilities as a player and composer on this album, which was recorded at a peak of his 1970s activity (the album “Home Stretch Blues” was recorded at the same session). There is nothing more that needs to be said here except that if you don’t own this album, you have a huge gap in your musical education. Essential!