JOHN SURMAN — Way Back When (review)

JOHN SURMAN — Way Back When album cover Album · 2005 · Post-Fusion Contemporary Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Sean Trane
Upon leaving in late 69 the UK for Belgium to live and work with his The Trio, with US citizens Bare Phillips and Stu Martin (both had visa or work permit problems in the Isles), Surman held one last jam session with his peers, buddies & colleagues at Tangerine studios, which soon close down and “lose” the master tapes in the mess. Discovered in 03, these were released on the awesome Cuneiform label in 05, without much extra mixing other than the rough mix done way back then. So you’ll be getting a somewhat raw live sound, but then again these guys were such pros, that it sounds just fine some 40 years later. With the usual Marshall, Taylor and Odgers, they played a lengthy track, but were joined later by Osborne for the later recordings.

Upon what could’ve been the A-side, we’ve got the four-part sidelong 21-mins title track, which is played by the quartet, with Taylor’s Rhodes opening slightly dissonant over Marshall’s cymbal ticklings. Just after Surman plays the main theme, Odgers throws on the table the up-tempo riff to allow Saxman to take it to the hilt and score a few touchdowns. The whole Way Back reminiscence is an enchanting ballad between a Rhodes, a bass guitar, Marshall’s superb drumming and of course the Su(pe)rman of sax. As we get to what could’ve been the flipside, Osborne finally got here and his influence is immediately felt on Owlshead (a john Warren composition), but Mike restrains himself from going over the dissonant line. Indeed this fusion-esque track is mainly Taylor’s showcase (IMO), while the closing jazzier Out And About is more the sax duet’s moment, but Surman’s soprano can handle Osborne’s alto any day of the week.

Well, if it was up to me, I’d tell you that Cuneiform’s WBW album is probably the most essential early Surman album that you could own, even though we can’t really call it an historical album, due to these sessions’ post-recording bad adventures. But likein fairy tales, all is well that ends well.
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