The Hideaway Sessions
Blue Canoe, 2022
9/10
Listen to The Hideaway Sessions
A Los Angeles jazz ensemble who are as exciting as they are unpredictable, the TriTone Asylum brings us 8 originals here penned by founding members Phil Topping and Peter Sepsis, where their ‘electro-acoustic’ formula embraces brass, woods and EVI, among others.
“Grasshopper” starts the listen with Ian Vo’s warm tenor sax and Mitch Forman’s agile keys complementing the cultured percussion from Billy Hulting in the stylish jazz climate that tips its hat to Latin/Calypso ideas, and “Schizophrenic” follows with spacey buzzing alongside Andy Waddell’s fluid guitar and Philip Topping’s bright sax, as the 10 minutes explores plenty of cozy textures.
“The Road To Hue” occupies the middle spot and welcomes Gary Herbig on flute as a haunting landscape unfolds that benefits much from Peter Sepsis’ strategic bass lines, while “Malawi” places Baba Sissoko on vocals in the percussive strong and cultured album highlight.
Close to the end, “Simple” is a live offering, where the brass, guitars and Dave Johnstone’s proficient drumming mesh for an exploratory 12+ minutes of fusion jazz, prog and rock ideas, and “First Days Of Summer” exits the listen with Allen Mascari’s tenor sax adding much to the firm keys and dancing melodies of the dynamic finish.
A very complicated listen that’s still quite accessible to anyone who appreciates harmony, there’s much heart in these compositions, and each one is fleshed out with the utmost care and will likely get your body moving.
Travels well with: Dave Stryker- As We Are; Bill O’Connell- Wind Off The Hudson