Multiverse
Nicolas Ferron Trio
Independent (nicolasferron.bandcamp.com/album/multiverse-2)
The organ trio setting is truly a dream for guitarists. One is able to play chords as they might in a trio with bass and drums, but there is ample harmonic accompaniment available when needed, rivalling that of a quartet with piano. To an audience there is a funky accessibility present on gigs and recordings that utilise organ, regardless of how esoteric the repertoire may get. Modern jazz doesn’t necessitate esotericism, but I was thrilled to hear such fresh and interesting new sounds when I first experienced Multiverse.
The 2020s experienced a renaissance of very traditional jazz guitar playing, ranging from players who honour their valuable influences, to those who sound stuck in a bygone era. Guitarist Nic Ferron eschews any entrapment in nostalgia, whilst staying grounded in the rich tradition of the instrument. He’s joined by Jonathan Cayer on organ, and Louis-Vincent Hamel on drums, who function beautifully as a rhythm section.
The album’s namesake and title track Multiverse features an upbeat groove and energetic trading between Cayer and Ferron in its solo section. This sets the tone for the tracks that follow, which are each simultaneously contrasting yet unified. Valencia begins with a guitar pattern that would sound apropos of either Radiohead, or Leo Brouwer, and moves on towards groovier territories. Each time I’ve listened to Multiverse it’s felt like a brief vignette, but at just over 47 minutes in duration, it’s no doubt a full album. That is a shining endorsement of its intrigue.
