Jackson,Serries,Vanderstraeten — Dandelion

Dandelion is a five-track improv release that rewardingly shifts from the darting & playful, onto the lightly seared and moody, through to the manic & rather wacky. The release features the trio of  Tom Jackson- Clarinet, Dirk Serries- acoustic guitar, and Kris Vanderstraeten- Percussion/ Drums.

The release comes in the form of a CD release on Antwerpen's A New Wave Of Jazz- who focuses on the more difficult, abstract, and noise-bound side of the improv/ modern composition genres. The CD comes presented in labels house style grey & white mini gatefold- which features on its outside grey boxes and white texts, and inside a write-up about the trio & the track presented here. This release is Ltd to just 200 copies- to find out more/ buy direct drop by here. 

Of the trio I was already aware of Mr Serries-  since the mid-’80s this Belgian's career has shifted from the ambient/experimental stylings of his  Vidna Obmana project, onto the more improv-focused work of his solo/ collaborative release. I also knew Londoner Tom Jackson, after hearing his intense duelling horn improv release The Other Lies( with saxophonist  Collin Webster)- released on New Wave Of Jazz in 2022.  I wasn’t familiar with Kris Vanderstraeten work, but after a search, I find out he’s been active in the Belgian free improv scene since the 1970s- with around twenty releases to his name.

The five tracks featured here have runtimes between four and eleven minutes a piece. We open with “Carnation Pink” which goes from low-key warbles, creaks, and neck scrambles. Onto a more playful blend of rapid percussive dart ‘n’ fumble, jiving strums, and flighty flute ‘n’ wails.  We have the wacky fiddling ‘n’ forking of “Violet Blue” which finds exuberant horn weaves, meeting guitar twangs ‘n’ scrubs, and generally shifting percussive playfulness.

In the second half of the record, we have ”Dark Green” which shifts from low-key scrapes, whistles, and dragging hisses. Though to a more lively mix of mischievous honks,  guitar pluck ‘n’ saw, and tip-top percussive shifts. Onto a more haunting, and almost ritual refrain.  With the album been finished off with the manic slapstick feel of “Bright Yellow” which begins all detailed percussive darts, neck scrubs ‘n’ bays, and tightly constricted horn darts….though later on dips into slightly more forlorn waters, with stretched warbling honks, winding to tip-toping percussion runs, and choppy strums.

Dandelion is another mighty fine example of adventurous, at points manic & seared improv from the folks at A New Wave Of Jazz. With all three players really work wonderfully together to create a selection of unpredictable & searingly vibrant improv.