Review: Reverso’s ‘Between Two Silences’

If there was ever a prototypical album to fit this site’s subhead, “Music Beyond Category”, Reverso’s Between Two Silences (Alternate Side, 2026) is an excellent candidate. The title’s use of “Between” implies many things – a music between classical and contemporary jazz, between chamber jazz and impressionistic music, between silence and sound,  and between the past and present. Across the album, Reverso’s unusually instrumented small ensemble of trombonist Ryan Keberle, pianist Frank Woeste, and cellist Vincent Courtois pay tribute to the “furniture music” of enigmatic proto-minimalist composer Erik Satie. There is plenty of space in Satie’s music as well as lyricism and mystery. Those who remember popular music of the ‘70s may recall the second Blood, Sweat, and Tears album, which had a track devoted to Satie. Only a few listeners at the time, however, likely knew who he was.

So, here’s to trying, owing to Steve Smith, who penned the liners.  Western classical composer Satie was deemed eccentric in his day, a view he furthered by wearing a top hat and frock coat. At a time – the 1880s – when Richard Wagner and his disciples purveyed harmonic density and emotional intensity, Satie took the opposite route. In the process, he played a central role in the origins of minimalism, postmodernism ,and even ambient music. His influence, particularly in regard to his solo piano works, extends to composers that have included John Cage, John Adams, Brian Eno, and Gary Numan.

Those who have followed Reverso will be unsurprised that the trio takes an interest in Satie. They have already released a series of albums honoring the great French concert-music composers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and Between Two Silences is a natural continuation of such. Aptly, this album bearing mostly French track titles and comprised of two Frenchmen, was recorded in Paris. All of the music was composed by a member of the trio, with one collectively improvised. While Satie’s influence looms large, there are no direct interpretations of Satie’s music.

Between two Silence’s sound is a blend of melancholy, given the two primarily low-register instruments, and brighter tones often delivered by Woeste’s piano. Woeste weighs in with five of his own compositions, which are best characterized by his statement – “Rather than borrowing [Satie’s] themes, I responded to his attitude: a music that is direct but elusive, rigorous, yet playful, and emotionally open without being demonstrative.” The first piece, “Le chat qui maneait des nuages,” is fittingly direct, elusive, and dreamy. The second, “Danse des horloges sans aiguilles,” is up-tempo and playful.

The American Keberle contributed three songs. He was also inspired by Satie’s sense of humor and quirky approach. He found many of those same qualities in Thelonious Monk’s music, heard in the angular patterns of “Origins of the Unseen.” Same too with the slowly unfolding “Gyrostride,’ which eventually taps into a cool groove, largely through the Courois pizzicato cello approach. “After Last,” is arguably more classically centered, with Monk’s influence less obvious but present through Woeste’s obtuse piano ramblings.  

Courtois was also enamored by Satie’s quirkiness, even down to the titles – “Desespoit agreable” (“Pleasant Despair”) and “Choral Hypocrite” (“Hypocritical Choir’). If at any moment it seems the music on Between Two Silences bends too much toward elegance, bizarre elements appear in almost every composition to throw the listener out of complacency. Space is often the fourth member of the contingent, but more than anything, this triumvirate is having fun, searching for the right time to introduce a quirky note or sequence.

Those attracted to Satie’s music will be naturally drawn to Between two Silences. But even those who had never heard of the composer will find the record both interesting and entertaining. How many other trios consist of piano, cello, and trombone? Likely none. That alone should pique curiosity.

‘Between Two Silences’ is out now on Alternate Side Records. You can purchase it on Bandcamp.

Photo credit: Melanie Mor