Here are a few jazz albums that are as close to Spartan as you can get.
Electric guitarist Gregg Belisle-Chi creates dreamy and ruminating landscapes with his strings. He can go dreamy as on”Victim” where he emphasizes long tones and gets quite ambient on “ Victim (Reprise)” wheras his complexities are shown on “Fear and Trembing.” Chelsea Crabtree brings her wordless vocals in to create a reflective atmosphere on the reflective “Reurgam” , plaintive “Speech” and contemplative “Sabbaths X” with the overall atmosphere being one of quiet contemplation.
Here’s a clever concept that is better than it sounds; drummer Phil Haynes delivers a five piece suite of sorts simply using his “solo drum set & found instruments.” There are 27 movements in this piece, ranging from a quick fourteen seconds to a not too long three minutes and ten seconds. Believe it or not, the percussive sounds are able to create a wide variety of moods, with sounds being used by sticks, brushes and hands. Space is also a factor, with Haynes using it well on “Pollock” while other times you get cymbals sashaying on ”Spirits,” a high hat on “Metal at warp,” snapping snares on “Bop Be.” Exotic instruments are felt on “Sympathetic Membranes” and some rim shots are on “Dumpster Diving.” Drumming fans will have lots to think about, while the average listener will be surprised how un-selfindulgent the entire album was in one listen.
Clay Giberson goes solo on piano for eleven of his own compositons that show an allegiance to impressionists like Satie and Debussy. There is a lyrical classicism to pieces like “Little Bird” and the reflective “Burst” while “Adah” has Giberson using silence as a note.A dash of Gershwin buoyancy adds a dash to “Astir” and “ Closer to You” and he shows his ability to swing on “Minga.” His hands feel warm on “Stride Right” while a touch of Beiderbecke’s “In a Mist” is palpable on “Dalles” and “Mizzle.” Warm and intimate.