John Surman - Private City (ECM, 1987)

This post is by Dan

John Surman (ss, bs, bcl, rec, synth)

Recorded December 1987

Private City is one of several solo albums that John Surman made over his long tenure with ECM. When reviewing The Amazing Adventures of Simon Simon (ECM, 1981) earlier in this blog, I referred to the unfair criticism of his solo albums as being too inward or withdrawn. Although Private City's title might be interpreted as a signal to that effect, Private City actually refers to a ballet for which Surman wrote two of the compositions on the album. 

Ultimately, listeners can judge for themselves whether an artist's music reaches them or not. I have enjoyed all of Surman's solo projects, as well as practically all of his ECM releases (at least those that I have heard - there are over two dozen of them at last count!). Personally, the solo albums pose no barriers to my enjoyment. 

Private City has Surman playing a recorder on several tracks, and it's featured on the Scottish-influenced "Hubbard Hill." On most tracks, multiple instruments are overdubbed to create tonal contrast and harmony. "Levitation" overdubs the same instrument, creating a bass clarinet duet. I prefer the rich harmonies of multiple winds together, as on "Roundelay." The synthesizer is typically used to provide a background for the horns, as on "Not Love Perhaps," where the synth builds ominously behind the soprano sax lead. It almost sounds like some displaced medieval liturgical choir. On "The Wanderer," Surman make the synth sound like a pipe organ, over which he plays both soprano sax and bass clarinet.

My favorite track on Private City is the first, "Portrait of a Romantic." I love the synth lines and the minor chord changes, which do not follow a predictable pattern. Surman begins on recorder, then shifts to baritone, and ends on bass clarinet. 

Nothing on this album is boring or repetitive. Every track is different and novel in particular ways. Unless you're absolutely opposed to the use of synthesizers, there's plenty of jazz to enjoy. Meanwhile, you might rethink your biases and open your ears to hear how skillfully synths can mesh with jazz.