“If ever a visual artist and technically astounding guitarist were to collide, it would be here. Intense, fragile – this could stop anybody in their tracks.”
Sheffield Telegraph
“Guitarist and vocalist Charlie Beresford has reached the point where he needs no introduction; his recordings in the duo Beresford Hammond, the trio Beresford Hammond Hume, the quartet Fourth Page and the larger ensemble Crystal Moth have cemented his reputation as a musician who can successfully combine elements of folk with improv and make the results sound like a natural blend.”
“The quartet’s crucial element is Beresford’s voice, and that point is made eloquently on the album’s twelve-minute opener, “Summon you to me.” For its first half, it is an improvised piece consisting of sparse atmospheric phrases from bowed guitar, piano, bass and drums punctuated by plenty of space. The four are accomplished improvisers, so their phrases combine together effectively into an engaging and enthralling improvisation which could have happily continued for the full length of the track. But, after five-and-a-half minutes, Beresford’s voice enters and the focus of the piece shifts dramatically. The music continues much as before but now it seems to accompany the voice; the effect is like one of those optical illusions in which the same thing is seen instantaneously in a different way—here, the entry of the vocals alters the way the music is heard.”
John Eyles All About Jazz
“Beresford has helped to pioneer a particularly distinctive, and very British, brand of free improvisation that draws inspiration from the landscape and from elements of folk music. The emphasis is on beauty and the creation of atmospheres and moods rather than the sound, fury and bluster of much freely improvised music. It’s an interesting and innovative niche that has drawn a considerable amount of critical acclaim……”
Ian Mann
“Thank heavens there’s music like this that puts your head back where it should be… Truly beautiful.”
Fiona Talkington Late Junction BBC Radio 3
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