MUSIC
Dan Banks - piano
José Canha - double bass
Trevor Taylor - drums, percussion
Recorded at Visconti Studios, Kingston, 14th October 2018
Engineer: Ebby Aquah
Audio mixed and mastered by Dan Banks
Also available on CD as part of a Limited Edition Eco box set which includes a 38 page booklet and DVD featuring a separate studio session captured by GOAT at Voodoo Bear Studios, Sawbridgeworth, 2018. DVD video edited by GOAT, audio mixed and mastered by Dan Banks, session photography by GOAT.
Visconti CD session photography by Bryan Styles
Review by Bruce Lee Gallanter - Downtown Music Gallery
SONIFICATIONS With JOSE CANHA / TREVOR TAYLOR / DAN BANKS - The Anthropocene Epoch (FMR 420; UK) Featuring Dan Banks on piano, Jose Canha on contrabass and Trevor Taylor on drums & percussion. ’Sonifications’ is one of the most ambitious and impressive releases to emerge from the ever-engaging FMR label. On paper, this appears to be another jazz/piano trio but there is quite a bit more going on here. No matter what our current administration claims, climate change is a real threat to all living things on our planet. The lengthy enclosed booklet discusses climate change at length and the way humanity has caused much its destructive forces. The scientific data which plots these changes and their effects is illustrated in the booklet and that data has inspired the music on this two disc set. The first disc is a DVD video filmed at Voodoo Studio, while the second disc is a CD recorded at Visconti Studios. I know very little about pianist Dan Banks or bassist Jose Canha, although they have worked with Trevor Taylor on a couple of previous CD’s for the FMR label.
As I read through the booklet, I become more alarmed at what has been happening to our planet and what is most ignored by much of the media. The music is often lovely, sublime, elegant and consistently fascinating to hear. This is an extraordinary piano trio who work extremely well together. Even without know who these men are or were, this is a wonderful piano trio date, which is made even better by reading the harrowing information while we listen closely.