Reed player John Surman belongs to the influential 1960s/70s generation of British jazz. He plays from baritone sax to clarinet and everything in between, at the time within the circle of British jazz and avant-garde musicians such as
Mike Westbrook,
Peter Lemer,
Graham Collier,
Mike Osborne and
Chris McGregor. Among other things, he himself released the unsurpassed jazz-rock album
Morning Glory in
… 1975. In the late 1970s, Surman, who emigrated to Norway, began releasing albums with ECM and broadened his musical palette to include European folk and almost ambient and modern composed music. The quartet album Words Unspoken is unmistakably rooted in jazz and improvised music, but goes much broader with spatial passages and musing interplay. Surman always retained his warm tone and never indulges in free and atonal playing. It continues to convey lyricism and depth. Guitarist Rob Luft, vibraphonist Rob Waring and drummer Thomas Strønen flawlessly follow Surman into that atmosphere, resulting in a very pleasant listening album. (MR)more
