uroboro

Uroboro is the vehicle by which saxophonist, composer and poet Keith Jafrate breathes life into his artistic vision, very ably assisted by a crack squad of some of northern England’s best players who, collectively, are able to inject his charts with a spontaneous energy. This fourth album by the outfit for the Sheffield-based Discus label shows just how deeply they’ve inhabited the liminal space where form meets freedom. On pieces like Hobgoblin or Adobe House, a simple, repetitive riff is plainly stated before gently and patiently unravelling into unguessed diaphanous possibilities. Laura Cole’s piano finds hidden ripples, Anton Hunter’s guitar splinters off into opaque shards, Johnny Hunter’s drums hiccup and stutter without ever quite losing the rhythmic seed – and Jafrate blows with an unhurried authority throughout. On four of the tracks Faith Brackenbury sings Jafrate’s word, adding a sonorously sombre shade. the longest track, Imagine A Forest, interprets W. S. Graham’s creepy woodland poem of the same name, with Brackenbury singing the lyrics with menacing poise over a loosely surging jazz-rock vamp that can’t resist tumbling in and out of a punchy freeform squall. It’s a quietly ambitious proposition, pulled of with deceptively casual aplomb. – Daniel Spicer, JAZZWISE

Primary composer keith Jafrate on saxophone and lyrical poetry and Faith Brackenbury on violin and ethereal voice strike a perfect juxtaposition of light and dark hues cast on the tonal landscape of Uroburo’s latest album Outside. Jafrate’s avant sax lines might freely guide the flow but it is a tight knit band of improvising musicians responding to one another that truly delivers the goods.

Laura Cole’s piano from the opening sparse notes keeps the existential threat at bay whilst Faith Brackenbury pitter patter vocals cast ‘a Winter dusk’ spell from the off. Improvisational ‘Hobgoblin’ is a playful spirit blurring the lines from tight to free with the rhythm section dancing around Jafrate’s sax. Something is brewing in the air as ‘Gog and Magog’ drive a more onerous pulse and rhythm. Anton Hunter shapes the atmosphere on guitar and electronics whether tender or fiery whilst Johnny Hunter’s light to thundering drums maintain the structured or free trajectory. John Pope drives the momentum on double bass knowing precisely when to interact with the spoken word and melodic lines. Fellow bassist Michael Bardon guests on only one track ‘Gog and Magog’ but adds yet more depth. Drums and bass are in synchronicity whilst Laura Cole’s piano and Faith Brackenbury’s violin act like the force and anchor, warmth and light, illuminating and countering the bass and guitar. They all bounce ideas off one another seamlessly.

Eight ritualistic movements of spiritual jazz, avant garde improvisation and free chamber jazz with an incantation style that pulls you into a dreamlike state. John Coltrane did it with ‘A Love Supreme’ grounding the listener through a redemptive call to prayer. Uroburo’s blueprint shares a similar introspective ethos but differs in its exploration of the unknown with a mood that leans to the dark but with dreamy shards of light. ‘Outside’ is its own catharsis.

The album is built around recurring haunting motifs that feel both ancient and modern prominent from the ‘Adobe House’ point. You come to recognise and anticipate them wilfully. The melodic peak however and the bit that really stays with you is at the fifth and longest track ‘Imagine a forest’. A searching and meditative poem incorporating a blend of funk and rock and a segue into a frantic boundary pushing collective improvisational section. Anton Hunter’s guitar, whether gritty, ambient or echoey, is the glue in all the transitions giving weight and shape. The piano rattles and scrapes, the violin scratches and darts around, the sax goes manic and the drums and bass hold it all together as the cacophony erupts until it reaches an abrupt halt and returns to a safer haven with a chill of piano and the avant folk hush of Faith Brackenbury. Her surreal voice the game changer, the pièce de résistance, burrowing into your psyche.

The confines of this forest ‘Outside’ is felt with visceral rises in instrumentation which come with drop offs that nudge you into a gentler place. From unease to quiet resolution the album oscillates in what feels like real spells rather than tracks. Its very organic, coming to life naturally without over processing. They call it a mini jazz rock gothic opera centred around W. S. Graham’s unsettling and strange poem ‘Imagine a Forest’.

The heartbeat is felt vividly through Faith Brackenbury spirit like voice whispering in the woodland, intimate and distant. Keith Jafrate drifting over the top or at his most menacing blowing a fiery thicket of untamed sax also drives the narration. Faith Brackenbury’s soaring violin contrasts with her pastoral vocals moving fluidly in and out of the arrangements, singing as if talking right into your ear. Her violin accents afford the perfect chamber jazz feel adding ghostly light and cutting through the bass and drums. Her vocals hover above the other players atmospherically and it’s all rather nurturing. It is the ebb and flow, akin to nature, the constant cycling between emotional extremes and suspenseful dynamics which gives this album its raison d’etre.

Like the serpentine that eats its tail- Uroburo’s album ‘Outside’ might not devour but inhabit you. Rather than a passive listen let it pervade you, ominously tense yet spiritually elevating. It has its own conversational tone and karma. You hear it, it talks to you, but almost in secret. Its true philosophical meaning only you can muster. One thing for sure this album is full of cyclic flows interspersed with angularity. You’ll be wrapped up like a snake’s tail, darting off and shedding your own skin long after the finish line, as the end once again becomes the beginning. – Paula Mcadam, BANDCAMP UK JAZZ AND IMPROVISED MUSIC (FB)

Barely a year has passed since The Bass Speaks, Uroboro‘s third album was released, but for the fourth collection of Keith Jafrate‘s open-ended collective, things have taken a more succinct turn. Outside contains only a single disc of material, compared to the last two double albums, and of the eight tracks collected, only four contain words. Keith’s vocals only appear on one piece, with the other three beautifully rendered by the returning Faith Brackenbury. The rest of the line-up is pretty much as before, with the Hunter Brothers, Laura Cole and John Pope also making welcome returns. This familiarity with one another, plus the fact that they are all exemplary musicians in their own right, having released a myriad of albums on Discus between them, means that right from the off we and Keith’s ideas are all in good hands. The sparse notes that introduce the album convey a lack of momentum; it is a dreamer’s welcome, a drawn-out awakening from a year’s slumber as violin and bass notes crackle in the open air and Faith’s voice sparkles, its jazzy tones highlighting Keith’s simple, sensitive words. Nobody rushes here and there is room for all players to add their own ingredients to a constantly evolving sound.

Sax, bass, piano and guitar are all in step on the instrumental “Hobgoblin”, adding and subtracting as Keith’s sax shimmers above. The improv sensibilities throw up unexpected notes and there is a sultriness to the sax, which offsets a partial rhythmic awkwardness as some players nag at a motif while others skip around them.

Their willingness to draw on ancient traditions comes to the fore on the ballad-like “Gog & Magog”, with Laura’s piano sparkling like sunlight on water, its timeless flow and percussive fills gentle and soothing, old friend Michael Bardon filling in on bass. The slinky guitar and purring percussion of “Adobe House” reminds me a little of Tortoise in its sense of purpose and chiming guitar, yet there is a definite building of pressure, the simmering guitar nagging as the sax swirls. The variety of tones speaks of endless imagination and for the centrepiece, a thirteen-minute meander through WS Graham‘s “Imagine A Forest”, the group construct a suite of bewitching simplicity that ebbs and flows, Faith’s voice delighting in the tangle of imagery as the instrumental intensity rises and falls.

The variety at play here is impressive, with the descending bass line of “A Spell To Unknot Buds” giving it a playful buoyant groove while the sax trades places with the guitar. The palpable freedom felt by the group is uncluttered and warming, although some histrionic bursts assail “Sara”, the scuffling drums keeping up a constant barrage.

The last piece, “The sky Is Always Open”, finally finds Keith and Faith trading verses, Keith’s careful intensity vying with Faith’s more carefree approach. The sparse backing suits the delivery and the violin’s curious tone acts like a third vocal, some alien language that is as yet undiscovered. The bright-eyed yearning that all the players show throughout is what makes the album so listenable. Once again, Keith and the players have concocted a collection that is easy on the ear but with hidden depths. – Mr Olivetti, FREQ https://freq.org.uk/reviews/uroboro-outside/ 

Playing together on outside unleashes their passion and poetry within a broad avant-garde jazz lineage, defined by the demanding nature of improvisation. It is a deep dive into distinctive sounds, tones, and timbres that never fail to astound, revealing a genuine cultural legitimacy. They remain constantly in search of experimental, adventurous, and daring harmonies. For their fourth album, outside, the lineup features Faith Brackenbury on violin and vocals; Laura Cole on piano; Anton Hunter on guitar and electronics; Johnny Hunter on drums; Keith Jafrate on saxophones and vocals; John Pope on bass; and guest Michael Bardon on bass for the third track, Gog and Magog.

The opening track, Winter Dusk Spell (7:05), embeds powerful, stripped-back, and widely spaced notes that seem to bounce beneath Laura Cole’s fingers on the piano. Against the incantatory force of sharp, violent, and brief alto saxophone bursts layered over piano effects, orchestral brass tones—full of brilliance and mystery—swirl in constant motion around the vocals. Hobgoblin (6:19) offers a gentler mood, blending sounds that hover somewhere between dream and reality. The track showcases astute, varied instrumentation: electric guitar arpeggios, tempered piano, delicate percussive touches, smooth brass, and an energetic drum performance that infuses the entire composition. A dynamic interplay unfolds between the strings, brass, and percussion. The insatiable, powerful bass effortlessly anchors the entire musical narrative. These sensitive tones blossom in Gog And Magog (5:46), amidst delicate timbres and the refined
unfolding of the saxophone. A piece that maintains its quality of nuanced performance—from introspective bass to restrained tension. The drums and their crystalline percussion set an invisible, distinctly free-jazz canvas. The brass tones soar—varied and sweet. Agile fingers race across the piano’s distinct keyboard. The ensemble permeates the musical backdrop, blending echoes, diverse resonances, and electronics where the voluble electric guitar pours forth. A sublime saxophone solo— perfectly, slightly raspy— concludes the piece.

In Adobe House (8:03), the omnipresent electric bass plays its jazzy melancholy on strings with airy tones within the improvised ensemble. All sounds remain suspended— even as they intertwine— with each instrument distinctly voicing its character. A brass-rich musical space; drums swinging on skins and cymbals, following the ensemble’s muffled, graceful pace. A novel proliferation of sounds: piano, electric guitar, brass, rhythm section, electronics, and violin. A performance offering a comprehensive view of Uroboro’s work, touching upon diverse inspirations and showcasing the evolution of rich, instrumental jazz that transcends traditional boundaries. Imagine A Forest (13:36): an airy, dreamlike piece, powerful in its conception—tightly focused on the lyrics, meticulously rendered by the instruments, and centered on an avant-garde progressive jazz trajectory spanning four parts. It features three shifts—three enigmatic, mysterious evolutions filled with rustling textures—exploring the subliminal depths of a beautiful bass line cutting through the darkness. The crystalline vocals move toward the clearing, while the drums head for the light, their swaying rhythms accompanying the expressive waves of a smooth soprano saxophone— evoking Coltrane-esque smiles with every breath, breathing out a tender, sultry warmth that brushes against raw emotion. Dramatic nuances shape the phrasing across the spirited bass work, Faith Brackenbury’s vocals, and the saxophone. A dramatic piano passage opens the fourth part, with the vocals settling in over it. The feverish ensemble moves at a measured pace, tethered to the saxophone’s breath—an interplay echoed by the piano as it carves out a breakthrough in its quest for a new musical language. Various saxophone tones emerge with every shift in rhythm, culminating in an exhilarating vocal-saxophone duet for the finale.

A Spell To Unknot Buds (7:14): a track driven by a highly rhythmic double bass, which infuses the composition with a distinct sense of poise and elegance. The spirited bass, the charmingly textured drums (with their shimmering cymbal work), and the acrobatic vocals all blend seamlessly with the virtuosity of the ensemble, colored by the dominant saxophone. The piece concludes with the bass and vocals.

Sara (9:27): another foray featuring the husky tones of soprano and alto saxophones weaving through the ensemble, showcasing the instruments’ perfect synergy and effortless flow. Drums and bass play within a melting pot of ideas and incredible, bursting inventions—an ensemble where interwoven sounds intertwine and adapt as they interpret wild, spirited compositions. An enthusiastic grandeur of tone, showcasing brilliant instrumentation. An extraordinary, evocative panorama that imbues this music with an eternal fire, serving as a bridge to reignite the same passion in the subsequent scores.

The Sky Is Always Open (10:50)— crafted with exquisite, feverish percussion—marks this final, narrated piece, interspersed with Faith Brackenbury’s jazz vocals and dramatic brass-like sonic effects. Virtuosity shines through the soloists’ hallucinatory tonalities: the fluid electric guitar’s flames, the captivating bass, drums staying true to the jazz lineage, unbridled piano, the exhilarating dance of
the strings, and fantastic violin work. There is a freshness to the bold, sincere harmonies—ranging from high and low registers to deep tones and heart-rending falsetto—all steeped in extraordinary tension.

An original orchestral tableau that transforms these seven soloists into painters of avant-garde jazz music. Each magical, diverse track stands apart from the last; one musical concept spawns the next, creating continuity across intuitions, approaches, trajectories, and journeys. It is hard to resist the magnetic pull of this avant- garde jazz paradise that leads us back to the very source of poetry. New concepts, an absolute renewal, and a ceaseless process of reinvention— constantly striving for perfection through improvisation and musical development—accompany the album’s eight poems. (****¼) – Marie Mesmer, HIGHLANDS

Eight ritualistic movements of spiritual jazz, avant garde improvisation and free chamber jazz with an incantation style that pulls you into a dreamlike state built around recurring haunting motifs. The melodic peak is at the fifth and longest track ‘Imagine a forest’. a poetic blend of funk and rock and a segue into a frantic boundary pushing collective improvisational section. Faith Brackenbury’s spirit like voice hovers above the other players atmospherically and is its raison d’etre – Paula Mcadam, online comment

The manger where *Outside* (DISCUS 213) was born stood in the Old Cowshed in Riddlesden (near Keighley in West Yorkshire)—its back turned to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, that coal-laden artery through the Pennines. For saxophonist Keith Jafrate tints the charcoal-azure above the roof shingles with the tones of blackbirds and foxes and a luminous blue-green. Violinist Faith Brackenbury sings “Winter Dusk Spell” against Jafrate’s frosty onomatopoeia and imaginative music in *UROBORO*, joined once again by Laura Cole (piano), Anton & Johnny Hunter (guitar & drums), and John Pope (bass). Even staid British names here must be prepared for a lively “Hobgoblin” or an elegiac “Gog and Magog.” Yet with “Adobe House,” they aren’t thinking of software; instead, they build—stone by stone—using mud bricks. Jafrate’s aim is always “to find shape from memory and from desire.” Amidst this, Brackenbury—drawing on W. S. Graham’s (1918–1986) “Imagine a Forest”—leads the listener into the ballad-rich Ettrick Forest, amidst a brooding atmosphere and prog-rock surges, to encounter a dying knight somewhere between “the elephant bark of those beeches” and “the bearded liveoaks.” And then, returning from fantasy to kick off one’s boots before the fireplace, one is confronted with the realization that one has not fought hard enough and is destined to die “In a no less desolate dark wood / Where a stranger shall never enter” (“Imagine a Forest”). Hence: “Come with me / folded petals / unknot desire” (“A Spell to Unknot Buds”)—a performance ranking alongside the likes of Lacy and Aebi. After “Sara”—a solemn, fiercely flickering instrumental—it culminates in the declaration: “We must be beginners / we must dream ferociously… Our archetypes sing in us” (“the sky is always open”). Jafrate himself advocates for ears attuned to the whispering of trees and eyes for the sweep of swallows. And Brackenbury chimes in with “a dream we all dream / the invitation of every moment / to make better…” Then Jafrate again: “We may transform every sentence / we may entangle every drone.” Countering the “hatestream” with the gentle poison and necessary madness of love. – Rigobert Dittmann, BAD ALCHEMY