Alister Spence and Myra Melford - Everything Here Is Possible

Internationally acclaimed US pianist/composer Myra Melford, and one of Australia’s most original pianist/composers, Alister Spence weave an extraordinary, unified soundscape in their first musical encounter.

Everything Here Is Possible is a series of duet piano improvisations recorded at ABC in Sydney in late 2012. At that time Myra was touring in Australia with her band, Trio M, with performances in Perth, Sydney and at Wangarratta Jazz Festival. Alister and Myra had previously ‘met’ on email through a mutual friend, Japanese pianist/composer Satoko Fujii.  

The recording session was set up by Gerry Koster, host of the ABC’s radio program Jazz Up Late. Gerry invited Myra and Alister to record an improvised set of music for his show, at the Eugene Goossens Hall in Sydney, with Andre Shrimski as producer and recording engineer for the session.
There was very little discussion beforehand concerning the form the improvisations would take. However, from the first notes (which you hear on this disc) it was clear there was a meeting of musical minds. Both players were listening intently to the music as it evolved, and adapting to each other’s ideas in a natural and organic way.

The result is a wonderful body of work; the two instruments blend together in a manner that makes it often difficult to tell the players apart. At times the music is beautiful, mysterious, playful, angular, but always it is vital and engaged. The five tracks have an entrancing sense of timeless unfolding, as the two performers take you into their singular sound-world.
This is a very special listening experience!

The tracks on the album are unedited and in the order that they were performed.
‘Real time’ preparations were used in the piano by Myra and Alister on two of the tracks.