Martin Archer, Charlotte Keeffe, Martin Pyne

When I proposed this trio it was intentional to create an instrumentation which closely matched that of the classic Leo Smith Trio of the 1970s – a line up which allows space and fire to co-exist. Of course, the fact that Martin Pyne doubles on both vibraphone and drums gives us a few extra sonic possibilities, and these have all been exploited by the suite of 12 compositions which the 3 of us have created together. While my own music output veers off into a wide range of bands and territories, it is when I play this music – which for convenience I will call AACM Music, as it is directly inspired by the masters of the 70s black American avant-garde – that I feel like I’m writing and playing my very best. Of course, both Charlotte and Martin have their own different histories and perspectives to bring to the trio. Nevertheless, that feeling that even at its most abstract , the blues is never too far away from this music, pervades the current work. – Martin Archer