Multi-instrumentalist Spencer Zahn’s latest is a minimalist marvel. Statues I features Zahn alone at the piano, dreaming up a series of Harold Budd-esque reveries. The melodies and playing are meditative and inviting, but not without a certain restlessness that holds your attention. Statues II is one of the best so-called “ambient jazz” recordings of the year, with Spencer adding synths, saxes and woodwinds to the mix. While some of it has a Jon Hassell / Fourth World flavor, it drifts very nicely into its own unique zones. In spite of the title, these pieces are anything but static; they breathe and morph into new and unexpected shapes.
Category: Spencer Zahn
Diversions :: Spencer Zahn On Keith Jarrett
We recently caught up with Spencer Zahn whose new album, Pale Horizon, dropped last week via Cascine. A multi-instrumentalist whose varied output touches on jazz and piano-based works, for this installment of Diversions Zahn dives deep into the works of fellow traveler, Keith Jarrett.