The Gentle War Trichotomy

• 1 Chase 05:03
• 2 Wrestle 07:31
• 3 Blues For The Space 08:45
• 4 The Gentle War 06:51
• 5 Cute 05:43
• 6 Sync 04:40
• 7 Shut Up 04:40
• 8 Not According To Plan 07:19
• Total Runtime 50:32

Info for The Gentle War

The Gentle War finds the band happily building on the success of Variations but is more tightly focused on the trio itself. Mixed by Brent Sigmeth (The Bad Plus) the album brings a rockier edge to the mix but without compromising on the beauty of the piano sound. It's an aural reflection of the band's music, what one critic called their 'juxtaposition of aggresiveness and tenderness'. Indeed it is this friction which is at the heart of the band's appeal: Their music is both densely rhythmic and sharply melodic, with Foran's excellent compositions seeking a balance between heavily notated sections and completely free improvisations and with the trio allowing ideas to develop naturally.

The album opens with Chase, a short, catchy song, almost pop-like but with some surprising time signatures. Wrestle features a deceptively simple melody and harmony that the trio twist and turn, much like it is wrestling with itself. Blues For The Space, is a beautiful piece, very still, meditative and reflective, and features a superb spontaneous improvisation from the trio. Cute, written by Parker for his son is a fun portrait any parent will 'get' and the visceral Shut Up aims its angry punch at reality TV. But it is the album's gripping title track, The Gentle War, that best encapsulates what Foran and his colleagues are striving for. It moves through three distinct sections, and explores some odd time signatures, but is also a really textural piece incorporating solo parts on bass and drums and always feels organic and natural. And it this distinct approach to their music, simultaneously thunderous and hushed...harsh but reflective, that makes Trichotomy so compelling.

Recorded shortly after the band's UK tour early last year it finds the lauded trio in especially dynamic form and while their music could be compared to the likes of EST or The Bad Plus, Foran also cites his time here as an influence on the music - and not just our beer, but bands such as label mates Neil Cowley Trio, John Taylor and Acoustic Ladyland - but The Gentle War is very much the sound of a band developing their own unique sound.

“a wonderfully unpredictable album…dramatic and effective” (BBC.co.uk)

'this is a genuine trio, with three equally important parts, and they never put a foot or finger wrong' 5 stars! (BBC Music Magazine)

Sean Foran, Piano
John Parker, Drums
Pat Marchisella, Acoustic bass

TRICHOTOMY are one of Australia’s most inventive contemporary music ensembles. So much more than a traditional jazz trio, this group expands the capacities of the classic piano/ bass/drums combination with elements of the avant-garde and a fresh attitude they bring to their music. Truly captivating for a variety of audiences, TRICHOTOMY skillfully blend dense, exciting improvisations and delicate atmospherics, conjuring up sounds of modern jazz, ambient music, avant-garde rock, free improvisation and contemporary classical music.

Formed as ‘Misinterprotato’ in 1999 while studying at the Queensland Conservatorium, the group’s sound is driven by award winning pianist Sean Foran, teamed with John Parker’s expansive dynamic and timbral range on percussion and Patrick Marchisella’s visceral touch on the double bass.

After 2 acclaimed albums released in their native Australia, ”Variations” their third album, was released on the British NAIM label in 2010. It features a variety of melodic and rhythmic landscapes, with the relaxed structures of Foran and Parker’s intimate songwriting decorated by the group’s spontaneous musicality. The 'variations' come from the mood and texture created by the intuitive interplay between the three members of Trichotomy and the subtle balance between delicate textural explorations and vigorous driving pieces. They shift effortlessly from beautifully subtle ballads such as ‘Please’ and ‘Ascent’ to the densely ferocious ‘Chunk’ (where Marchisella's bass sounds more like a distorted electric guitar), ‘The Unknown’ whose disjointed rhythms sound completely natural, and ‘Variations on a bad day’ which moves from single piano notes to dense polyrhythmic phrases in a fraction of a second.

Inspired by a diverse range of influences from Aphex Twin to Vijay Iyer, and Tortoise to The Bad Plus, Trichotomy’s music combines a dense rhythmic focus with the melodic clarity of a Pat Metheny, Brad Mehldau or Stravinsky and like fellow Australians The Necks, whom they cite as an early influence, there is a remarkable attention to detail and a desire to allow ideas to develop naturally within their music. A key focus is the balance between piano/bass/drums, with the trio maintaining a free flowing three way conversation with no one dominating and all contributing integral parts. Compositions often find a fine balance between heavily notated sections then completely free improvisations.

TRICHOTOMY have performed around Australia at the Wangaratta Jazz festival, Woodford Folk Festival and Melbourne International jazz Festival, Brisbane Jazz Festival, Valley Jazz Festival, and the Apollo Bay Festival, among others. Internationally the trio have also appeared at the Calgary International Jazz Festival Canada, the Kutchan Jazz Festival Japan, World Expo Japan and China, and toured Japan several times. In 2009 they were invited to showcase at the prestigious MIDEM music conference in Cannes, France and in 2010 toured the UK to wide critical acclaim.

In 2011 they release their new album “THE GENTLE WAR” on NAIM and follow this with a UK tour in February a performance at JAZZAHEAD Bremen in April & a Chinese tour in May.

Booklet for The Gentle War