George Haslam displays control of a wide variety of instruments ranging from baritone sax, alto sax, zither and tarogato as he explores music of folk traditions and jazz on these two albums.
Haslam teams with Nikolas Skordas, who plays soprano sax, traditional flutes and bagpipe along with guest Sophia Koroxenou who adds voice and bells to a series of tracks. Most of the pieces are duets of reeds, with puffy “Conversation with Birds” angular “Spiritual Fall” and screechy “River of Hades” and “Live in Wrong Way” before some bells add an atmosphere of a Greek village on “Lethe” and Praying In Desert” Korixeunou’s voice is ethereal as she blends in with the thick reeds of “Eternal Dreams” as she takes you to mountains where shepherds tend to their island flocks.
Haslam goes into a trio format with Steve Cohn, who plays piano, harmonica and some traditional horns as well as bassist Steve Kershaw. Cohn gets some solo space on a wonderfully patient “Orwell’s Blues” and teams up with Kershaw on a bluesy bopper of “Walking In An English Desert” while playing the traditional shakuhachi flute on a dreamy and ethereal “Dog Blue.” Haslam picks up his baritone and blows a mean bop on “Blue Monk” and swings hard during “Nostalgia In Times Square” with the team stretching out on an enjoyable “Baritone Happiness.” Flexible and fun!