Darren Pickering Small Worlds: Volume Two

An album review of some lovely local jazz, with modular synth exploration subtly sitting alongside the great small combo playing.

Darren Pickering Small Worlds

Volume Two

Rattle

A recent favourite for me in local jazz was the debut album by Darren Pickering Small Worlds, a band formed around Pickering’s keyboard and piano work, and in support of his compositions. Tantalisingly, it was called Volume One. Would there be a second volume? You have to figure that, sadly, no, there won’t always be such luck in a small country, with limited sales for any sort of music these days let alone something as niche as jazz.

But look, here we are! Volume Two.

Again, we start off particularly ‘small’, really just Mitch Dwyer’s guitar in support of Pickeriung’s piano and modular synth motifs for the opener, Oneroa Bay. But then, on Reverse things open up and we start to feel the presernce of the rhythm section (Peter Fleming on bass, Mitch Thomas on drums). By the time of Bibo No Aozora it’s jazz in full flight - the rhythm section delicatley cooking beneath the stateliness of Dwyer and Pickering’s chords and lead lines. This track is a rare step away from originals for this combo, a Ryuichi Sakamoto, arranged by Pickering and served up here, no doubt, as tribute to a hero and inspiration for the pianist and composer. Pickering’s arrangement allows a late-night jazz shimmer to waft all around the cloud of music.

When the electronics start to bubble away within the tunes it gets a bit more exciting - not that it’s uninspired to hear these great players stick to the knitting of jazz. In particular, Blue Mind expertly combines the different worlds of Pickerings iPad triggers, modular synths and piano lines, for essentially it is Pickering in ‘conversation’ with himself; an update of the Bill Evans template.

There are brief interludes (A and B) where jazz is still very much the template, but there’s less of a journey wsithiun the tune and more of a palate cleanser between courses. Particularly Interlude A, its brevity no deterrent. Much is still achieved, the band working seemingly as one to deliver the the music.

But I particularly love when this band intentionally starts ‘small’, as on Chasing Pavements. Soft guitar noodling and a wash of cymbals beneath the piano, or the slow, purposeful evolution of TA2, where across six minutes we arrive in a place that’s not so far away from where The Necks take music.

Mazawati Tea is another delightful nod to swinging small combo playing, less about featured soloists, even as Dwyer and Pickering both have plenty of time out front; they do it in a way similar to Scofield or Frisell though, it’s about the band mood always. And it’s about service to the song.

La Perla (For Benjamin) and Intimate are altogether more, erm, intimate. Those soft, delicate shadings. You get the feeling this music was written, if not recorded, in stolen moments, in the wee small hours, or late at night. It just carries that feel.

Volume Two is both a strong and lovely continuation of the mood and feel, and of course it is its own reward altogeher. So whether you’re starting here, or already a fan of Darren Pickering Small Worlds, there’s much to enjoy with this excellent set of compositions and these exquisite readings.