feature photo: Jordan K. Munns
Adventurous Australian keyboardist Alister Spence loves taking jazz to the frontier, whether it’s through his Alister Spence Trio, the Asteroid Ekosystem quartet and collaborations with Japanese kindred spirit Satoko Fujii. But some of Spence’s most inventive adventures happen when he’s by himself.
Alister Spence’s solo piano album Always Ever (April 24, 2026) is his follow-up to Whirlpool (2020), his first solo work. That one was daring enough, but this time around, he goes even deeper in his quest to expand the tonal palette of the piano well beyond just the keyboard part of it. Remember, this is Alister Spence we’re talking about here. Nothing about this is going to be run-of-the-mill, ordinary, normal. Certainly, not boring. Everything recorded here is totally improvised with no overdubs.
Despite going into each track not knowing in advance what will come out from it, every track is its own creature, distinctive from every other track. He digs deep into his bag of tricks and a wealth of experience in so many genres to make that happen. This is a record that takes a snapshot of Spence’s imagination gushing out extemporaneously, touching on jazz, classical, minimalism and other music forms with none of the product being mere genre exercises of anything.
“Mystic” immediately puts the listener on notice the Spence is utilizing all parts of the piano, preparing the strings to create a percussive effect vaguely similar to a kalimba. There’s a linearity to some of Spence’s instant compositions, such as the building drama of the glimmering trills of “Play of Light.” Other times, the chords flow in a wandering fashion, as with “Determination” but also possess the elegance of classical piano.
Cecil Taylor’s ghost is summoned for “Afternoon at Rancom Street,” immediately contrasted by the eerie near-silence of “Begin From The Middle.” “Searchlight” also employs a drone effect, but here Spence uses it as a springboard to create delicate figures from the piano.
“Rain Phase” doesn’t even sound like a piano at all, as Spence manipulates the strings to emulate a diddley-bow, until suddenly in the middle, it instantly converts to a conventional piano sound without any break in his progression. “Halo” is pensive, with every chord hanging in the air to contemplate.
“Top Spinner” like “Afternoon at Rancom Street” is Cecil-esque but brisker and more succinct in its attack. “Scrape Rattle Strike” leaves no sound source unused as Spence incorporates percussion outside of and around the piano, the strings inside the piano and finally, the piano keyboard.
Always Ever is an unaltered transfer of ideas from the fertile mind of Alister Spence straight to tape. Solo piano records rarely sounds so liberated as it does here.
Pre-order/order Always Ever from Bandcamp.
- Alister Spence – ‘Always Ever’ (2026) - April 23, 2026
- Billy Mohler – ‘Live In Europe’ (2026) - April 21, 2026
- Cecil Taylor Unit – ‘Fragments: The Complete 1969 Salle Pleyel Concerts’ (1969, 2026 release) - April 17, 2026
