| Azimuth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1977 | |||
| Recorded | March 1977 | |||
| Studio | Talent Studio Oslo, Norway | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 43:29 | |||
| Label | ECM ECM 1099 ST | |||
| Producer | Manfred Eicher | |||
| Azimuth chronology | ||||
| ||||
Azimuth is the debut album by British jazz trio Azimuth recorded in March 1977 and released on ECM later that year. [1] The trio consists of pianist John Taylor, vocalist Norma Winstone, and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz |  [3] |
The AllMusic review by Michael G. Nastos calls the compositions "deep improvisations, communicative and spiritual." [2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings says Winstone's voice "floats with a characteristic balance between freedom and control over Taylor's minimalistic piano figures. Any doubts that these are jazz-trained and jazz-centred performers are immediately dispelled." They described the title track as "a grand acoustic edifice that constantly reveals new areas of interest." [4]
A reviewer for Aquarium Drunkard wrote, "Taylor's arpeggiated synthesizers provide the pulsing backdrop for the majority of these tracks with Winstone and Wheeler floating and weaving through the space above with improvisational interplay akin to a dance. 'The Tunnel', one of two tracks with actual poetry, has Winstone singing of the 'darkness into blackness, flying along on the rhythm track', perhaps describing the dark, reflective space the trio beautifully explore and inhabit on this ambient jazz classic." [5]
Tyran Grillo, writing for ECM blog Between Sound and Space, called the album "an altogether fascinating mosaic of atmospheres." [6]
All lyrics are written by Norma Winstone; all music is composed by John Taylor
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sirens' Song" | 4:13 |
| 2. | "O" | 6:49 |
| 3. | "Azimuth" | 12:18 |
| Total length: | 23:20 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Tunnel" | 9:17 |
| 2. | "Greek Triangle" | 2:05 |
| 3. | "Jacob" | 8:47 |
| Total length: | 20:09 43:29 | |
John Taylor was a British jazz pianist, born in Manchester, England, who occasionally performed on the organ and the synthesizer. In his obituary, The Guardian described him as "one of the great jazz pianists and composers of his generation" and at a musical level comparable to Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, McCoy Tyner and Brad Meldhau.
Kenneth Vincent John Wheeler, OC was a Canadian composer and trumpet and flugelhorn player, based in the U.K. from the 1950s onwards.
Norma Ann Winstone MBE is an English jazz singer and lyricist. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is best known for her wordless improvisations. Musicians with whom she has worked include Michael Garrick, John Surman, Michael Gibbs, Mike Westbrook, as well as pianist John Taylor, who was her former husband.
Azimuth was a British jazz trio, active from 1977 through the early 2000s.
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