Alister Spence Trio - Mercury

Wire review:

The trio of the Australian pianist and composer Features bassist Lloyd Swanton from The Necks and Toby Hall on drums. On this Excellent release, Alister Spence’s ingenious Themes prove fertile sources of improvisation. He hasn’t filtered off jazz influences to the extent of Necks counterpart Chris Abrahams – not that this is mainstream post-bop.

There are traces of Keith Jarrett on “Momentum”, while the dreamy “Luminescence’ is closer to minimalist Necks territory – Swanton’s ‘sound of the earth’ bass obviously exerts a pull. The title track is a brilliant essay in dark, monochrome funk with contrasting glockenspiel interludes. It’s tough making a mark outside the relatively small Australian jazz and improv scene, and Spence is certainly a talent deserving wider recognition.

Andy Hamilton The Wire (UK) February 2008

Alister's new brilliant new cd. With Toby Hall (drums) and Lloyd Swanton (bass).'Soothing atmospherics, flying swing, meaty grooves, free improvising and tranquil pools of lyricism all come and go, beautifully played and sensationally recorded. The transformations are always guaranteed to draw you into their captivating musical worlds.'

John Shand- Sydney Morning Herald, Nov 16-18 2006

'Spence has that priceless gift of always leaving you wanting more.' Jazzwise Magazine (UK) November 2006