Julien Wilson Trio - Swailing

“Swailing” describes a “prescribed burn to encourage regrowth”, something that is synonymous with the Australian landscape. The stunning painting on the CD cover by Melbourne artist, Dale Cox, evocatively captures the often-brutal-beauty of the relationship between Fire and the Australian Landscape.

The combination of old and new material on Swailing reflects the trio’s desire, and need, for renewal and new growth. Delving in to the past to create the future. Some of these tunes have been staples of the trios repertoire since the very start, and some were written specifically for the recording.

A decade of performing together as a trio has enabled them to develop a signature, loping 3-feel and a unified rubato phrasing that sounds as if they are sharing one mind. In the absence of a traditional rhythm section of bass and drums, the three instruments (all roughly the same range in pitch) have to find new roles to give the music completeness.

An additional bonus of the lack of bass and drums is that the level of details that can be heard from the acoustic instruments is truly astounding. Subtle clicks from the accordion buttons, fingers on the guitar strings, and breath and key-noise from the saxophone all add an extra layer of rhythm and texture to the recording that give the listener the impression they are experiencing the band from the inside-out.

The recording has a sumptuous depth and clarity, and the band have utilised the studio to create multi-layered tracks that create an orchestral, three-dimensional, cinematic experience.