Polyglot: Talk, Vol. 1

Feb 02, 2024

Polyglot is drummer Ko Omura, pianist Steve Barry, and bassist Kosuke Ochiai, an Australian-Japanese jazz trio project whose first album Talk, Vol. 1 was released in 2020. Each member contributes original music for the 58-minute album’s eight tracks, with five from the pianist, two from the drummer, and one from the bassist.

Similar to great jazz trios like those of Bill Evans and others, equal partnership is apparent as each member participates actively in the group sound to fill the space with cooperative creativity. While Barry’s piano is the leading voice for many of the theme statements, Omura’s drums and Ochiai’s bass follow and influence the twists, turns, and accents of the multi-cornered melody lines, resulting in a full and fascinating sound.

Joining the jazz trio for three songs is guest trumpeter Hiroyuki Ishikawa, adding some extra sonic texture and timbre to the music. The final song “Komorebi” also features Omura’s evocative tabla drums on the transcendental track, adding a wonderfully earthy sound that he’s explored on his own jazz recording and others.

The album’s liner notes with a concise song-by-song-rundown are reproduced on pianist Steve Barry’s website, and they offer a great description of the album in both English and Japanese.

To add to those, these are some very brief impressions, but by no means a substitute for listening to the amazing music. “Nagoya” is actively modern (such as for instance, Danilo Pérez and Danny Grissett trios). “825” paints with pretty palettes and soulful lacing. “ASP” is uptempo and adventurous. “Paul” explores slowly with emotion. “Nicholstrophy” collects Monkish quirks in a barrel. “Plato” is a curious journey. “SZ” excites with stimulating scene changes. And “Komorebi” is a mysterious, slow-moving net of notes, repeating atmospherically.

Obi Notes

(The notes printed on the obi are an excerpt from the liner notes.)

この録音を通じての演奏には特質するべきものがある。若い世代の音楽家が、高い技術力と音楽的イディオムへの深い造詣を身に付けている事に喜びを感じる。美しさに溢れた音楽は、開かれた思考と心を持ったリスナーにあらゆる可能性を提示するであろう。
The playing throughout this recording is superb. It’s particularly wonderful to hear young musicians like these, playing with such high-level technical skills plus deep idiomatic and musical understanding. This stunning music reflects the cutting edge of jazz today and points to very bright creative possibilities for anyone with an open mind and heart.