Perpetual Motions by Gavin Harrison and Antoine Fafard – Album Review

Inventive musical explorations and collaborations from a virtuosic duo and friends

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In classical music, a concerto in which a soloist – such as a pianist or a violinist – performs with an orchestra, is a common form. Less common is the concerto for orchestra, although the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók did write a popular piece of that name, stating that it wasn’t a symphony but a series of soloistic, virtuosic sections for each part of the orchestra, in effect a series of concertos. Now Canadian bass player Antoine Fafard and English drummer Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, The Pineapple Thief, King Crimson) have created a similar concept, a series of nine pieces for jazz duo and a range of soloists who play soprano sax, cello, violin, oboe, Fender Rhodes and piano. The aim of their new album, Perpetual Motions is, ‘to stretch out artistic possibilities and contribute to expanding the musical spectrum.’

The duo’s previous album Chemical Reactions was also ground breaking, using string quartet and full orchestra with drums and bass guitar. The title of the new album describes the perpetual change of musical arrangement from one of Fafard’s compositions to the next, the only constant being the playing of Fafard and Harrison on every piece. Remarkably, Fafard presented Harrison with complete recordings to add drums and percussion later; Harrison’s playing perfectly matches the pieces so it’s impossible to tell that his recordings were done separately. Harrison told Raffaella Mezzanzanica of MusicalMind that,

“Having a studio at home means you can do one take or a hundred takes…Sometimes it takes me two days to record a song, but when I listen to it later, I might decide to do it all again. That is the luxury (and curse) of working on your own in your own studio.”

1 Dark Wind

The opening track begins with a fiercely rhythmic bass line, and big band brass, giving the track a similar feel to Harrison’s 2015 album Cheating the Polygraph, a reimagining of the work of Porcupine Tree for big band. Melodic soprano sax soon takes on virtuosic runs, with aspirational rising chords. There’s an evocative breakdown section with a trombone solo. The piece is often in 5/4, but the rhythmic patterns constantly change. A stunning start to the album.

2 Deadpan Euphoria

The ‘deadpan’ of the title presumably refers to the handpan drums on the track, which create a sound like steel drums. There are also log drums, long cylindrical pieces of wood, hollowed out with slits on the top. Fafard provides lovely, melodic fretless bass which entwines the long sustained notes of the cello – an unusual but very effective combination. The bass guitar drops lower as a liquid, free-flowing guitar surrounds the cello. A lovely track.

3 Viral Information 101

Like the opening track, this begins with a fierce, repeated bass note. Acoustic guitar flourishes with subtle marimba are followed by a folky violin solo. There’s a sudden, romantic slow section with melodic violin that would make excellent film music. The song ends with a gorgeous fretless bass run and exhilaratingly thunderous drums.

4 Objective Reality

An unusual song, built around bass guitar harmonics, the same short phrase repeated at different pitches. Above the angular, geometric shapes of the urgently rhythmic backing track a sweet-toned oboe flows like liquid honey, adding vitality and humanity. The track ends with Harrison’s superb percussion runs. An intriguing track.

5 Quiescent II

This short, mellow track features a sprinkling of jazzy Fender Rhodes, and highlights Harrison’s relaxed, loose-limbed drumming which contrasts with his more energetic playing elsewhere on the album. Again, Fafard provides some inspiring fretless bass. The song builds to a climax with rhythmic chords and an insistent theme. A good contrast to other songs on the album.

6 Spontaneous Plan

This song begins with spontaneous piano flourishes, with big band brass that could have come from a John Barry score for a James Bond movie. The piano becomes jazzier and more freestyle as the track progresses. It ends with a joyful burst of brass. The song is energetic and lively, constantly changing and evolving, perfectly expressing the perpetual motion of the album’s title.

7 Pentalogic Structure

Another showcase for the cello, which plays a mysterious melody at the start with gentle guitar, before a chaotic repeated theme surrounds the cello which resolutely continues to plough its own furrow. Fafard told Raffaella Mezzanzanica that he wrote most of the songs on guitar, and this track features a fast-flowing, classical guitar solo which combines virtuosity with a sense of optimism. As the track comes to an end, the cello returns with a slow, angular melody which casts a shadow on the hopefulness of the guitar solo.

8 Solus Souls II

Laid-back piano chords are joined by a searching bass line. Again, as throughout the record, Harrison’s playing is a joy to hear. His subtle, spacey percussion leads to tom tom rolls that gain energy as the track becomes more complex and syncopated.

9 Safety Meeting

Piano chords and more big band brass chords rouse themselves, perhaps to illustrate a meeting of safety officers. Again, a highlight is Fafard’s elegant classical guitar playing, sometimes reminiscent here of another guitar virtuoso, Steve Howe of Yes. He follows this with a limpid bass guitar solo with gentle piano chords. This constantly changing song ends with jazzy piano chords and swelling brass, ending an excellent, varied collection of songs from two superb musicians and a range of performers from across the world.

Personnel

Gavin Harrison: Drums and Marimba
Antoine Fafard: Electric Bass and Classical Guitar
Jean-Pierre Zanella: Soprano Saxophone on track 1
Dale Devoe: Trombones and Trumpets on tracks 1, 6 and 9
Joasia Cieslak: Cello on track 2
Isodora Filipovic: Cello on track 7
Reinaldo Ocando: Marimba and Vibraphone on track 3
Pier Luigi Salami: Piano and Rhodes – Piano on tracks 6, 8, 9; Rhodes on track 5
Tadeusz Palosz: Handpans and Log Drum on track 2
Ally Storch: Violin on track 3
Rodrigo Escalona: Oboe on track 4

Sources

Mezzanzanica, R. Antoine Fafard unveils some “secrets” behind “Perpetual Mutations”, his new album with Gavin Harrison (MusicalMind 16 May 2024)

Mezzanzanica, R. Gavin Harrison talks about “Perpetual Mutations”, how to keep his balance and his view on the future of Porcupine Tree and King Crimson (MusicalMind 27 May 2024)