Matthew Bourne: Montauk Variations

Montauk Variations is the first solo studio album of pianist Matthew Bourne delivering 16 original compositions and Charlie Chaplin’s Smile.

The record follows the lineage of The Molde Concert, his accomplished and controversal live CD recorded in 2005 and published two years later.

The new album is notable for a less known part of Bournes work that he decided to share with his audience. “The cello is one of my private pleasures, I played it in my work with Dan Berridge (aka Broadway Project) and various projects involving long-time musical collaborator/engineer and producer of Montauk Variations, Sam Hobbs. Dan and Sam are the only people I play/record in front of where the cello is concerned. I only ever wanted to learn the cello to play Bach’s cello suites on. Just for myself!”, Bourne explains.

This pianist, cellist and composer came to national attention as one of the winners of the Perrier Jazz Awards in London, 2001. His unique ability to create powerful imagery through an esoteric piano language along with spoken word samples earned him the Innovation Award at the BBC Radio Jazz Awards 2002.

He continued to develop this methodology, delivering intense and highly personal performances at an international level, doing his PhD research at the same time, undertaken at the University of Leeds. During this period Bourne was the recipient of the IJFO’s (International Jazz Festivals Organisation) International Jazz Award.

Matthew Bourne performs at key international festivals and stages around the globe. He introduced himself to Sarajevo’s audience in 2004 performing with his Distortion Trio at the 8th Jazz Fest Sarajevo.

Below you can listen to Étude Psychotique from the latest album, his original composition dedicated to John Zorn.

Track list:

1. I. Air (for Jonathan Flockton)
2. II. The Mystic
3. III. Phantasie
4. IV. Infinitude
5. V. Étude Psychotique (for John Zorn)
6. VI. Within
7. VII. One For You, Keith
8. VIII. Juliet
9. IX. Senectitude
10. X. The Greenkeeper (for Neil Dyer)
11. XI. Abrade
12. XII. Here (in memory of Philip Butler-Francis)
13. XIII. Gone (in memory of Philip Butler-Francis)
14. XIV. Knell (in memory of Philip Butler-Francis)
15. XV. Cuppa Tea (for Paul Bolderson)
16. XVI. Unsung
17. Smile [written by Charles Chaplin]