Tritone Asylum is a flexible collective based around EVI player Phil Topping and bassist Peter Sepsis.
They’re billed as “electro-acoustic,” blending acoustic woodwinds, piano and percussion with electric guitar, the elastic electric bass of Sepsis and Topping’s often otherworldly electronic excursions. Together, the band offer a bit of something to both the casual jazz fan and those looking for improvisational forays.
Tritone Asylum’s new album The Hideaway Sessions opens with “Grasshopper,” a bouncy theme that would be right at home on smooth-jazz playlists – before saxophonist Ian Vo ventures off into a sinewy, showy solo. They eventually wander back to that relaxed vibe, however, with piano and muted trumpet.
The Hideaway Sessions goes a bit schizophrenic on the track of the same name, with electronic lines from keyboards playing off against similar ones from Topping’s EVI (electronic valve instrument). This cousin of the better-known EWI, popularized by the likes of Mike Brecker, Bob Mintzer and Steve Tavaglione, is favored by trumpet players such as Topping and one-time Blood, Sweat and Tears music director Bruce Cassidy, among others. One minute “Schizophrenic” is a riff-driven tune, the next it’s all about who can take the most outre solo. It’s the longest and truthfully least successful tune on the album.
In contrast, Tritone Asylum’s dreamy ballad “The Road to Hue” is a highlight. The horns, including the ubiquitous EVI, complement one another here, with the lustrous bass of Sepsis gently pushing the tune along. The bubbling guitar solo by Andy Waddell is accompanied by sensitive drumming courtesy of Dave Johnstone.
“Malawi” is a jaunty workout featuring vocals by Malian percussionist Baba Sissoko. The melody is meant to echo a birdsong that composer Sepsis heard on the shores of Lake Malawi. “Ballad for Nongna” is another exquisite ballad, this one featuring electronic textures and an alternately sensitive and swirling sax solo.
“Simple” is anything but. Topping’s multi-faceted EVI leads into a bravura solo from Vo, before Mitch Forman’s electric piano takes the spotlight. He eventually loses all restraint, breaking out the wah-wah pedal, and the horns play against his overdriven sound.
The Hideaway Sessions concludes with “First Day of Summer,” another Topping composition, which balances piano against his EVI. Drummer Johnstone is understated throughout, never overshadowing his bandmates, but his timekeeping is ever-present. On this tune, his delicate work on cymbals and snare keeps things moving without ever pushing the beat too much.
Johnstone may be Tritone Asylum’s not-so-secret weapon, which makes guitarist Waddell not a secret at all. His solos on “54 Blues” and “Malawi” nudge the proceedings into fusion-y territory, especially when countering the wailing sax or otherworldly EVI.
It’s likely none of these tunes will turn up on your local smooth-jazz station, if those even exist anymore. Tritone Asylum is a little more out there than a lot of what passes for fusion, and it’s far from bop. But those favoring something jazzy and a little out of the ordinary will find The Hideaway Sessions a rewarding listen.
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