Fergus McCreadie – Stream

Among the new piano trios to emerge in the early 2020s, that of Scotland’s Fergus McCreadie is undeniably one of the most interesting.

When his first opus (Cairn) was released in 2021 – when he was just 24 years old – he seemed to be presenting himself as a potential continuator of an aesthetic ranging from the Swedish trio E.S.T to the American trio The Bad Plus.

Since then, however, he has asserted his own identity, blending personal compositions with Celtic folk tunes. Blessed with a luminous touch and a phrasing that is at times alert and at times dreamy, and which works wonders on lush harmonies, Mc Creadie has dug a fertile furrow in the company of partners who have been loyal to him since his beginnings, unfolding catchy melodies that the trio magnifies through a treatment where the subtlety of the interaction is coupled with a great mastery of dynamic contrasts.

The three musicians take us on a journey through varied soundscapes that leave no room for fatigue. The listener’s ear is constantly stimulated, and on two particularly long themes – over twelve minutes in length – such as “Lochan Coire Ardair” and “The Crossing“, we are carried away by a dizzying, vertiginous flow that never seems to stop, or lulled by a repetitive vamp over which a haunting melody unfolds, undulating between piano and forte.

Elsewhere, on the contrary, “Mountain Stream“, played solo, is a dreamy, meditative track lasting just over two minutes. Scottish inspiration is not so common in jazz, and that of this trio’s sounds totally sincere and devoid of any exoticism.

You can sense that McCreadie and his cohorts have spent their youth immersed in the musical melting pot of the region where they were born and raised (McCreadie started out playing the bagpipes as a child!), and the choice to turn to jazz to express their sensibility seems an obvious one, so convincing is the vibrant, elegant swing of their music. Beautiful piano in very good company!