Short Reviews [Mark Wingfield - 2024 - "The Gathering"]

This was originally recorded by the trio of Mark Wingfield (guitar, soundscapes), Gary Husband - synth & piano (all tracks) and drums (tracks 1, 5, 6) and Asaf Sirkis - drums (all tracks) back in 2021 in Spain. It wasn’t until 2023 that Leonardo Pavkovic brought in Tony Levin on electric upright bass (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8) and Percy Jones on fretless bass (tracks 2, 4, 9, 10) to add their elements. It is somewhat difficult to comprehend that the recording took place like this, as it appears seamless, with all musicians sounding as if they were in the room at the same time bouncing off each other. All five are very well-known musicians who have played countless gigs and albums, and Wingfield has worked extensively with Sirkis and Husband prior to this so it is no surprise at all at how well this all jells together. Some of the songs sound improvised, others with more of an underlying structure, and with the basslines being added later when the rest have already been recorded it has allowed Levin and Jones to listen to the arrangements ahead of time, knowing what was happening and what they needed to do to take the track to the next level. This is jazz rock fusion being taken into new levels from musicians who are used to working with others to create new sounds every night. Husband has worked with the likes of John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth, Markus Reuter and so many other cutting-edge musicians while Sirkis also has an extensive CV, and of course is currently drummer in Soft Machine, while Wingfield has also worked with Reuter, Kevin Kastning and many others. It is these experiences which allows the musicians to let the music flow, to go where it leads them, to not be afraid to go out on a limb and to listen to what is happening and tap into the energy in the room. This is jazz rock fusion being taken in different directions, where nothing is off limits, and keyboards can provide a backdrop for a stunning bass lead which wasn’t even there when the music was originally recorded. This is music which needs to be played on headphones when the listener as the time to do just that and allow the mind to go wherever it will as the sounds take us on an incredible journey.