Sleeping Giants

Formed by violinist/bandleader Olivia Moore, Unfurl is a Manchester-based collective that draws upon contemporary jazz and Indian classical music, partially inspired by Moore's studies with revered Hindustani violinist Kala Ramnath. While the work of John McLaughlin and Mahavishnu Orchestra are a clear touchstone for this type of Indo-Jazz fusion, the pieces on Sleeping Giants tend towards a brooding, textural quality, as opposed to displays of intense virtuosity. This subtlety of approach gives every piece room to breathe, allowing the skill and nuance of each musician ample space. Opening track and lead single ‘The Enchanting Woods’ centres Moore's multi-tracked string harmonies, accompanied by Gavin Barras’ simmering double bass. ‘Upstream’ shifts focus to John Ball on santoor and dhrupad-style vocalisations by Norwegian singer Maria Jardardottir, while ‘The Fox and the Wolf’ settles into an ominously psychedelic middle section, with a haunting electric guitar solo by Jim Faulkner. Closer ‘Bear Stories’ incorporates a more jazz-rooted harmonic structure, with the first three of its ten minutes cycling around a gorgeously spiralling chord sequence. With recording having started in 2015 and completed remotely under lockdown, Sleeping Giants is an unhurried and sonically generous work, rooted as much in English natural folklore as in Indian classical tradition, giving it a quiet sublimity.