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You may recall Mr. Peterson played a track from this band on the show with the Mr Scruff pre-Big Chill interview (I’m afraid I missed his set, but heard a bit of his Big Chill Radio show on Sunday morning, see review HERE). Anyway, back to the Twelves Trio, so even if the ablum title sounds like it should be a folktroinica group a la Tunng, this is a jazz album by the splinter group of the mighty fine Examples Of Twelves.

That said, there is a bit of folk in here, the most obvious being the Irish tinged ‘She Moved Through The Fair’ that is particularly effective with the Mark Hanslip (also Nostalgia 77, The Rhythmagic Orchestra, Outhouse and Lizzy Parks) sax sounding as if he’s playing a part written for a fiddle.

Peterson played part of the next (and longest track), ‘Earth’. This is more in GPs modal bag with a minimal avant-guard jazz drumming by Tim Giles (he of Fraud and ‘wires’ on Max de Wardener’s influencial Where I Am Today album) with some find Tippettesque piano work provided by Zoe Rahman along with perfect sax and bass (Riann Vosloo) solos.

Zoe also features on the track ‘How To Stop An Exploding Man’ that’s not as explosive as you’d have thought and sort of ends on a damp squib (perhaps that’s the point). But not to worry as the last track ‘Flower Song’ is the best of the lot is a mournful downtown walk along the waterfront with me baby at 2am type way.

‘Angel’ and ‘Clutter’ are dominated by Hanslip as he’s so cool in in a Coltrane, Rollins, Coleman frame of mind and in contrast to the busy ‘Jiggery Polkery’ of the opening and most mixtape friendly track.

The trio is led by Riaan (who we also know from Nostalgia 77, Max Grunhard Quintet and The Plumstead Radical Club) and it’s a far more sutble jazz affair than Neil Crowley but still full bodied.

Apparently based in my old manor of Walthamstow, E17 (former home of William Morris, the notorious Brian Harvey (who used to ‘drink’ in the Essex Arms) and the the soon to be closed world famous Greyhound Track), there’s a couple of live dates on the cards.

As far as I know, this is 1965 Records’ first foray into jazz but I’m not at all surprised as they have a range of artists even wider than this sites’ interests as they are also home to Toddla T (also at the Big Chill), they released Jahcoozi’s ‘Black Barbie’ on a 7”and they are releasing the oddness poetry of Derek Meins soon. Anyway, more power to them and strongly suggest ‘Earth’ as the track of the day; great album!

Forthcoming Gigs
6th Sept 2008 @ Windmill
7th Sept 2008 @ Vibe Bar

Reviewed: Twelves Trio - Here Comes The Woodman With His Splintered Soul (1965 Records) Cat No. OLIVE056 Release date: 8th September 2008
Tracklisting:
1 Jiggery Pokery (8:29)
2 She Moved Through The Fair (7:40)
3 Earth (11:32)
4 Angel (6:37)
5 Clutter (9:02)
6 How To Stop An Exploding Man (5:59)
7 Flower Song (9:30)

Links
www.myspace.com/markhanslip
www.myspace.com/examplesoftwelves
www.1965records.com
Gilles Peterson :: 31 July 2008 :: Mr Scruff In The Studio
The Twelves Trio - ‘Earth’ (1965 Records)
William Morris & Vestry House Museum
BBC News Thursday, 31 July 2008 Doubt over Walthamstow rescue bid “Racing will continue at the iconic London landmark until 16 August”