While the name Sean Foran might not ring any bells on this side of the equator, we at Nextbop like to keep our ears to the ground for novel and creative musicians even if they do reside outside of the musical nucleus that is New York City. Foran, who has helmed the progressive Australian trio Trichotomy for over 17 years, is now set to release his debut as a full-fledged leader September 2nd under the JAZZHEAD banner. Frame of Reference features the Australian pianist alongside a tight-knit and hand-selected group of very talented Brits, namely Julian Arguelles on saxophone, Stuart McCallum on guitar, Ben Davis on cello and Joost Hendrickx on drums.
“This project was something that I’d thought about for a while, and I wanted to write and record some music that featured a different lineup to the trio that I usually work with. It’s more chamber based than my trio material, and also more textural. The saxophone, guitar and cello complement each other in a really interesting way and open the music up to so many possibilities for melodic and harmonic interactions. Most of all, there’s space for everyone to improvise… it feels very open and melodic…I think there’s a sense of optimism in the music, a sense of calm”.
The 8 original compositions that make up Frame of Reference successfully come together to build a cohesive musical universe well worth exploring. From the somber opener “Room with a View”, where we are first introduced to the long ethereal lines of Davis’ cello, adding body and depth to the album as whole, all the way to the soothing closer “The Sum of”, Frame of Reference shines from beginning to end. Watch the EPK for the album and stream “Room with a View” below and see for yourselves.