Jessica Ackerly has a unique sound and delivery on this solo album that is a tribute to to recently departed mentors Vic Juris and Bobby Cairns. The voicings here range from thick tones on “Untitled 3” to intimate folk forms as on “Inner Automation” and the darkly lyrical “Departure Into Sound Memory”. Hints of mixing melody and chords a la Joe Pass are felt on the assertive attack of “Conviction” with intricate pickings also felt on “mourning”. Personal, private and reflective.
Pianist Francois Bourassa creates a surfeit of intimate emotions. He forms rich dark elliptical moods on “Gespard” and is prismatic on the exotic “Musique Pour Film”. Hints of Debussyesque impressionism are imbibled on”Andante” and “KVQ” with a rich mix of left hand pulse and right explorations on the intuitive “Small Head”. Each piece is an individual unit, and separate in mood from the others, revealing fertility in both mind and fingers.