Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Peripheral Vision: Sheer Tyranny Of Will

8

Peripheral Vision: Sheer Tyranny Of Will

By

Sign in to view read count
Peripheral Vision: Sheer Tyranny Of Will
One must wonder what chance a group of relatively unknown Canadian jazz musicians playing complicated original tunes has for any sort of recognition or commercial success in the US. If musical quality was the sole determinant, Peripheral Vision, the relatively unknown Canadian band in question, would be celebrities, set for life. They've unleashed a corker of an album in Sheer Tyranny of Will, their third. Sheer Tyranny of Will combines the small "f" fusion approach of the so-called "Canterbury-style" of jazz-rock (think National Health or Gilgamesh) with purely contemporary stylistic elements that would be perfectly at home in Brooklyn's hippest venues.

While there's something somewhat like 70s prog-fusion going on in the tuneful, multi-sectioned compositions (written by bassist Michael Herring and guitarist Don Scott), these guys have also been influenced somewhat by contemporary "post- rock" bands such as Tortoise and Algernon. To make the mix all the more enticing, the melodies here possess a jazz- derived, Thelonious Monk-like angularity. For instance, "Wiretap" opens with Hogg soloing at length over gracefully bounding 6/8 drums and bass. The thematic content, riddled with unexpected stops and starts, juxtaposes bursts of harsh skronking saxophone and distorted guitar in 5/4 with a dreamy melody draped over a lush chord sequence.

Improvisation is a central component of Peripheral Vision's music. Scott is an excellent guitarist with a percussive attack whose judicious use of effects is quite refreshing. Eschewing the obvious contemporary influences (e.g., Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, Allan Holdsworth, John Scofield), Scott's sound seems to be derived from a completely different set of guitar slingers; guys like John Abercrombie, Larry Coryell, Jim Hall, and Grant Green. Saxophonist Trevor Hogg occasionally augments his horn with electronic effects as well, but he's a dyed-in-the-wool jazzman whose work in the horn's lower registers brings Michael Brecker to mind. Bassist Herring sticks mainly to the acoustic instrument, giving the music an unexpectedly open, airy quality. His nimble soloing on "Charleston Heston" is one of the album's standout moments. On drums, Nick Fraser also maintains a light, jazz-oriented approach and plays all sorts of odd time and syncopated patterns with graceful ease.

While most of the tunes clock in between three and eight minutes, two longer tracks—both exceeding 10 minutes in length— constitute Sheer Tyranny of Will's most definitive statements. Both are, of course, multi-sectioned rambles through a variety of wittily-related timbral, harmonic, and rhythmic environments. The title track is perhaps the album's mellowest and most relaxed piece, though it's far from a ballad. Bookended by spacy, almost rubato sections dominated by Scott's processed guitar, the piece interweaves lengthy solos by Herring and Hogg (perhaps his finest performance on the album) with diverse, yet clearly interrelated, thematic statements. "Patina" is similarly expansive, opening with a long tenor solo that gives way to a lovely guitar riff. This builds very quickly into something more menacing only to break down for Scott's lyrical, jazzy guitar improv. It's all very organic and effortless sounding; and that's what sets Peripheral Vision apart from the rest.

Track Listing

Robbed And Ridiculed; Wiretap; Charleston Heston; Sheer Tyranny Of Will; Neurosis And Everyday Life; Cement Watchers; Backbone; The Ill Conceived Plan; Cadmium Thumb; Patina.

Personnel

Peripheral Vision
band / ensemble / orchestra

Trevor Hogg: tenor saxophone; Don Scott: guitar; Michael Herring: bass; Nick Fraser: drums.

Album information

Title: Sheer Tyranny Of Will | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Self Produced

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.