Invisible Threads is an album by English saxophonist and composer John Surman recorded in Norway in July 2017 and released on ECM January the following year. The trio features Nelson Ayres on piano and Rob Waring on vibraphone and marimba.[1]

Invisible Threads
Studio album by
Released19 January 2018
RecordedJuly 2017
StudioRainbow Studio
Oslo, Norway
GenreJazz
Length59:13
LabelECM
ECM 2588
ProducerManfred Eicher
John Surman chronology
Another Sky
(2014)
Invisible Threads
(2018)

Reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
PopMatters          [2]
AllMusic     [3]
All About Jazz     [4]

The PopMatters review by Steve Horowitz stated "This is jazz meant for a quiet room. The trio creates a space where a listener can drift along without getting tired. There's an energy to the playing that lifts one into a pleasant state and a good-humor to the enterprise as a whole. The mutual respect the musicians have for each other is evident by the space in which they give themselves to play. The silence between the instruments and the attentive pacing in which they perform suggests they are carefully listening to each other rather than just waiting for their turn."[2]

The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek notes "As a whole, Invisible Threads is an approachable but major work of melodic improvisation and tonal inquiry."[3]

All About Jazz reviewer Samuel Stroup said, "This band of veteran musicians achieves what it sets out to do on Invisible Threads, mixing their improvisational skill with the rhythmic intricacies that make the album's songs unique. The trio's light sound never becomes flimsy, each member occupying his varying amount of authority, moment by moment. Surman masterfully leads the group through his exercises in cohesion in the flowing and pulsing music."[4]

Track listing edit

All tracks are written by John Surman except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."At First Sight" 2:33
2."Autumn Nocturne" 6:52
3."Within the Clouds" 4:48
4."Byndweed" 5:11
5."On Still Waters" 4:45
6."Another Reflection" 1:33
7."The Admiral" 5:15
8."Pitanga Pitomba" 7:06
9."Summer Song"Nelson Ayres5:22
10."Concentric Circles" 6:32
11."Stoke Damerel" 3:37
12."Invisible Threads" 5:39
Total length:59:13

Personnel edit

References edit

  1. ^ ECM discography accessed 5 June 2018
  2. ^ a b Horowitz, S. PopMatters Review accessed 5 June 2018
  3. ^ a b Jurek, Thom. John Surman – Invisible Threads > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  4. ^ a b Stroup, Samuel. "John Surman: Invisible Threads". Musical reviews. All About Jazz. Retrieved 5 June 2018.