HARPER TRIO - Dialogue of Thoughts album review

 

HARPER TRIO       Dialogue of Thoughts

(Little Yellow Man Records – LYM002CD)

Maria Christina Harper      Electro-acoustic harp, effects, voice, composition
Josephine Davies               Soprano & tenor saxophone, voice
Evan Jenkins                        Drums, voice

Dialogue of Thoughts is the spiritually charged new CD by Harper Trio. From the opening, meditative bars of Quiet Mind, it is obvious that mindfulness and spirituality is at the heart of this new collection. The piece opens with Maria Christina Harper’s ascending harp figure which is soon enhanced by Evan Jenkins’ spare cymbal work, then overlaid with a simple melody on soprano sax from Josephine Davies. All very soothing.

 Walk is a different animal; as the title suggests, it opens with a walking riff on harp and drums, then with the introduction of Davies’ tenor the tune really takes off. This is a brisk walk around the park with the dog, or maybe even a jog if you’re that way inclined. But you never lose the feeling that this is walking/jogging as therapy. Following that exertion the album continues in more sedate fashion with Ephemeral Now; the track title speaks for itself as does Inner Thoughts which features several voices reciting a text in various languages including English, Greek and Arabic as well as Maori dialects from Jenkins’ native New Zealand and underlaid with the lightest of accompaniment from harp and brushed drums.

 The peace is shattered by two tracks at the album’s centre. Dialogue Fusion Politics and Madness While Trying to Meditate feature driving rhythms and, in places, a vaguely punkish feel which gave the impression of a mad lunchtime rush of some sort.

Calm prevails throughout the second half of the album, opening with In Between Dreams being reminiscent of a siesta, while Sometime in Cairo is evocative of felucca trips on the Nile and walks near the Pyramids. Moving On opens with a spoken introduction, Harper, Davies and Jenkins reciting mantras inspired by the Delphic Maxims in random order and in various tongues, before the piece itself develops into a short coda reminiscent of curling up in one’s favourite armchair with a hot drink or, if you prefer, a good glass of Red.

Harper’s Greek and Egyptian musical heritage is evident throughout the album and her vision is expertly interpreted by Davies and Jenkins. Dialogue of Thoughts is an excellent album and a worthy successor the Trio’s 2023 debut Passing By and I look forward to hearing more from them in the future.

Links:-

https://mariachristinaharper.bandcamp.com/album/dialogue-of-thoughts

Harper Trio - Sometime in Cairo video

Harper Trio - Walk video

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