P.S.

P.S. might be a trite title, underlined by the album sleeve's parcel-post graphics, but the music within has an appealingly warm-hearted glow. Andy Sheppard (soprano/tenor saxophones) and John Parricelli (acoustic/electric guitars) show the utmost restraint, savouring the close-up details of their instruments. Parricelli has been a long-time playing partner of Sheppard's and is currently a member of his Learning To Wave band.

This album developed out of their recent live shows, with the duo dividing up their compositions equally. Even so, their combined melodies do tend to sound like the product of a unified mind. "Glencarron" revolves around a suitably folksy cascade of guitar notes, with Parricelli moving to electric by the third track, layering up effects as Sheppard roams around this melodic base. The furred breath of Andy's saxophone brushes each tiny ear-hair with every embouchure twitch clearly audible while he's making love to his reed. "Mer De Glace" evokes the sound world of Bill Frisell, illustrating how much it's Parricelli that provides the variations in texture, from piece to piece. This number takes the pair's restful posture down to its placid extreme, but it's also one of the disc's highlights, along with "Say So", its repetitive guitar figures hinting at a Steve Reich-ian minimalism. --Martin Longley

Label: Unknown
Studio: Provocateur
Released: 2004-02-09
Format: Audio CD