Artist: George Haslam

Date of Release: 01/09/2007

Catalogue no: Slam CD 322

Label: SLAM

Price: £9.99

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Track Listing

George Haslam, bass clarinet, baritone saxophone, tarogato.

Tracks:
1 Bajo profundo Haslam/Hurtado 4:20
2 Baile con las pulgas Haslam/Hurtado/Straijer 6:30
3 Cumbre Coghlan Harari/Haslam/Hurtado/Straijer 6:40
4 4 x 1 + 1 x 4 Harari/Haslam/Hurtado/Straijer 10:50
5 La diana Haslam/Straijer 3:50
6 La Tere Harari/Haslam 4:00
7 Amigos nuevos Greene/Haslam 3:50
8 Tranquilo Ferrero/Greene/Haslam 5:00
9 Early morning train Ferrero/Greene/Haslam 3:30
10 A green riff Ferrero/Greene/Haslam 4:20
11 Wade in the water Traditional 8:00
12 Vidala y vidala Espinosa/Ferrero/Haslam 7:40


Tracks 1 – 6 recorded 6 September, 2006 by Nestor Diaz at Huella Studios, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
With Daniel Harari tenor saxophone, Mono Hurtado double bass and Horacio Straijer percussion
Tracks 7 – 12 recorded 7 September 2006 by Jorge Beren at Estudios BAC Sound Buenos Aires, Argentina.
With Ruben Ferrero piano, kalimba, percussion and Hill Greene double bass.

Reviews

01/08/2007 Barry Witherden

Jazz Review September 2007
September Spring was the product of Haslam’s two days of chilling out with musician friends in Buenos Aires after a hectic tour. He has played with Harari, Ferrero, Hurtado and Straijer whenever he visited Argentina since 1990, but worked with Greene for the first time in New York earlier in 2006.

Haslam’s bass clarinet makes its recording debut on “Bajo Profundo”, which kicks off with a chord filled in by Hurtado’s floor-shuddering bowed bass. After a few phrases Hurtado puts aside the bow to engage in an agile duet. It’s an excellent foundation for the session. Haslam stresses that the tracks are presented in the order that they were recorded, and rightly considers this the best (he says, essential) way of presenting improvised music since what you play is influenced by what you have played earlier: the session should, he believes, develop as a whole, not as a programme of discrete tunes. The second track, with Straijer added, does indeed sound as if it developed organically from its predecessor, and the unfolding process continues when Harari joins them for the more agitated “Cumbre Coghlan”, Haslam now on his accustomed baritone sax. The fourth track opens with a fine percussion introduction leading into a pizzicato bass solo – the highly dextrous Hurtado plays exceptionally well whenever he appears – followed by sumptuous lone baritone, then atmospheric tenor (4 x 1, see) topped off by a turbulent collective improvisation (right …1 x 4). “La Diana” features nice tarogato and nimble drumming, and “La Tere” wraps up this impressive, predominantly low-end session with a sax duet.

The other tracks feature the trio of Haslam, Hill and Greene. Haslam has the benefit of another fine bassist here, whilst Ferrero imbues the session with some local colour. He is, I guess, the guilty party playing an uncredited instrument which sounds like a melodica on “Early Morning Train” but is probably bandoneon. He redeems himself with a tasty piano playing on “A Green Riff”, inspiring Haslam’s fiery baritone excursion. You’ll certainly need your sou’wester for “Wade In The Water” and “Vidalas” brings proceedings to an almost operatic close.