Pearring Sound: “Nothing But Time” (2019) CD Review

Pearring Sound is an innovative and expressive jazz group led by saxophone player Jeff Pearring, who is actually the only steady member, the band’s configuration changing with each project. For the new release, Nothing But Time, the group is the trio of Jeff Pearring on alto sax, Adam Lane on acoustic bass and electric bass, and Tim Ford on drums. The music here (with one exception) was improvised and recorded live in the studio, without overdubs, and takes the listeners on intriguing journeys through some strange landscapes. Right from the start of the first track, “Plugin Heavy,” the music has an exciting and unusual sound. This track has a heavy (as its title suggests), cool, kind of funky vibe with a spacey element as well. Fans of jam bands will dig this. Then “Gather And Go” starts rather tentatively, as if the musicians are gathering their thoughts, their instruments greeting each other, reaching out. Then after a couple of minutes Jeff Pearring’s sax says it’s time to get moving, and there is a kind of intense build in the second half of the track, as if the rocket is amassing energy and is about to explode into space. Then it relaxes as it winds down at the end.

The track that was not completely improvised is the album’s sole cover, a rendition of Duke Ellington’s “Blue Pepper (Far East Of The Blues).” Adam Lane begins this one on bass, and soon Tim Ford comes in on drums. Then when the sax comes in, it becomes a kind of sexy, sly, delicious number; the horn could charm snakes or people or any other object of some interesting desire as it dances over that wonderful groove. I love Tim Ford’s work on drums. Then “Through Step” has a somewhat eerie, ominous sound, like traveling down a dark alley in an alien world fraught with danger. This is partly because of the use of electric bass, but also the strange sound of the cymbals. Then at the end, the bass drops out for a brief, odd section of drums and sax. That’s followed by “The March Of The Aggressive Pedestrian.” First of all, I love this track’s title. It really informs the way I hear the tune, as the steady drums and bass seem in no way willing to back down, but will propel themselves forward through any obstacle. Then the saxophone speaks, and it is part dance, part warning to others to move, here I come, get out of the way. I totally dig this track. At the end, the track mellows, so perhaps this person has reached his destination.

We then get “Sweet Sci-Fi Suite.” On the back of the CD case, it is listed as one track, the sixth track, but actually the three parts to the “Sweet Sci-Fi Suite” are presented as three separate tracks. Each is fairly short. As you might guess from the title, it has a spacey kind of vibe from the start of its first part, “To The Stars.” As it builds, you get the sense that there is life out there. There is something bright and optimistic about the sound, right? The second part, “Parallel Engines Grind,” has a more industrial electronic sound, with things whirring. There is a hurried sense about it, like something has perhaps gone wrong. The suite concludes with “Interstellar Dust,” which comes at us like a voice reaching across the galaxy, the message itself becoming garbled as we try to make sense of it.

“Talking Outside Time” begins with percussion. Then the horn comes in, as if asking questions, making inquiries at first. The track is like an odd conversation among the three instruments, looking for some common ground, trying to make sense of their surroundings, their circumstances, to get their bearings. And they seem to do so, as the sound becomes more powerful toward the end. Then “Sunday” has a mellower sound, the saxophone feeling more relaxed, allowing for pauses, perhaps even introspection. The drums and bass develop a good, pleasant groove, and by the end, this track has me feeling good. There is something cheerful and fun about this one. That’s followed by “Effective Translation,” which immediately establishes a funky groove. The trio explores that groove, working on it and within it. This is another fun track. The disc began with “Plugin Heavy,” and it concludes with “Plugin Light.” This one too develops a strong, steady groove, and seems a bit looser, the saxophone taking short, delightful flights above that groove before really going for it.

CD Track List

1. Plugin Heavy
2. Gather And Go
3. Blue Pepper (Far East Of The Blues)
4. Through Step
5. The March Of The Aggressive Pedestrian
6. Sweet Sci-Fi Suite: To The Stars
7. Sweet Sci-Fi Suite: Parallel Engines Grind
8. Sweet Sci-Fi Suite: Interstellar Dust
9. Talking Outside Time
10. Sunday
11. Effective Translation
12. Plugin Light

Nothing But Time is scheduled to be released on CD on October 4, 2019. It was apparently released digitally on August 29, 2019.