When I endeavored to give Peripheral Vision and their new record of the time a hard listen nine years ago, I came away impressed that this the Toronto-based quartet is “unfailingly fresh, incalculable and rewarding … giving jazz the swift kick in the pants that it needs.” Since that 2014 release Sheer Tyranny of Will, they’ve gone on to make three more albums – including the brand-new We’ve Got Nothing, their second live one.
The term “live” is almost superfluous with Peripheral Vision, however, as they like to record all their music live, whether in the studio or in front of an audience. It starts with the core songwriting team of guitarist Don Scott and acoustic bassist Michael Herring, bolstered by strong interplay among the two with drummer Nick Fraser and tenor saxophonist Trevor Hogg and finished off by co-producer and engineer Jean Martin, who sprinkles enhancements on the raw recordings.
Videos were made of each of the nine performances picked for this collection, and we’re introducing one of them here. “I’ve Got Nothing” starts with Scott soloing sensitively over enigmatic, thoughtful changes, handing the role over to Hogg. After Herring takes over, the intensity picks up almost unnoticed, and the whole group binds together on the twisting line to bring the song to its end.
Now in their 16th year of existence, Peripheral Vision has stayed true to their original mission of marrying tradition and modernity with a lot of shrewdness and a dash of wit. It’s no surprise that “I’ve Got Nothing” has a whole lot of something going for it.
You can procure “I’ve Got Nothing” or the whole album We’ve Got Nothing from Bandcamp.
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