A Blade Because A Blade Is Whole…Or the healing has begun. It has struck me in recent times how the disturbing shifts in the world order, the destabilising and confusing daily rhetoric in the media, the hate-filled rhetoric of persecution that abounds, and the way that world war seems to have re-entered the conversation has not resulted in any particular reaction in the world of music. I guess the idea of a protest singer seems a little too futile these days. But with that in mind, the one flavour of music that could make a difference and give some solace to all is to be found here; this new long player by Alabaster DePlume is both a soother, a coping mechanism and a healer. Every moment, every change and each rise and fall effectively guides you, covering you and accompanying you through the troubled water we find ourselves navigating.
Opener Oh My Actual Days finds DePlume leading with his tenor sax against Macie Stewart‘s eerie strings on an instrumental that effectively ushers us in from the antechamber. Thank You For My Pain glides along a repeated expression of gratitude in a piece that reflects on the importance of listening to one’s own pain and acknowledging its existence, not trying to cover it up in denial. The gestation of this focus on healing came from within, the artist reaching an awareness that he had lost a sense of self in tandem with overthinking the effect of his work on others. What followed was a period of slowing down, a new participation in jiu-jitsu, reading, reflecting and most significantly, writing. A book of poetry entitled Looking For My Value: Prologue To A Blade followed and serves as a foundation for this musical exploration.
Additionally, his focus on the blade is explained by its inability to function, if not whole. “Healing is the forming of a whole, and a whole is singular, more itself, as in more one, as in more alone”. For all the violent, painful connotations of a blade, it can also be a vessel for freeing oneself, for cutting loose and releasing that freedom.
Invincibility exhales and begins to taste this freedom; it is a deceptively powerful piece that builds an acoustic bulwark over which heavenly choirs and strings swoop past, inviting us to dance around the forces of oppression. Likewise, Form A V is a monologue that refers to a jiu-jitsu practice whereby one individual is faced with an attacking collective in the shape of a V and required to fight them off one by one. Our narrator sounds ready for the challenge. Maybe this sense of concept that plays across the whole record is down to the fact that, unlike previous records where the material was edited from jam improvisations and sessions, A Blade was written, arranged and produced by DePlume himself in tightly focused sessions with clear intent. There are some compelling saxophone instrumentals aplenty, many of which seem to impart the healing message wordlessly and magnificently. One such is Who Are You Telling Gus, a title presumably referring to the artist’s birth name, Gus Fairbairn.
Prayer For My Sovereign Dignity is equally rousing and wonderous, the sax blowing with a shimmer that seems to vibrate against every indignity inflicted on humanity daily. These are themes that have been consistent in his past work too, the idea that knowing and valuing one’s own worth can be a powerful force if we all carry that awareness, it can be a strong collective energy. The second half of the album steers more towards vivid instrumentals. A track like Kuzushi has an air of tranquillity, whereas Salty Road Dogs Victory Anthem has the kind of insistent repetition and growth jazz heads will have heard in acts like Sons Of Kemet. The vocals return for the final brace of songs, Too True comes over as cautious and hushed, while That Was My Garden is semi-spoken but firm and undeterred in its focus on recovery. As a completely unknown folk singer once wisely noted, we all have to stay in a state of becoming. Equally, if we are not working on destroying ourselves, we surely should be working on healing. ‘A Blade Because A Blade Is Whole’ sees this and fulfils its intentions with real musical style, intensity and originality. This one might be the State of the Nation address that truly resonates.
A Blade Because A Blade Is Whole (March 7th, 2025) International Anthem
Order via: https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/a-blade-because-a-blade-is-whole
Alabaster DePlume Tour Dates 2025
April 29 – Norwich, UK @ Norwich Arts Centre
April 30 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
May 1 – Newcastle, UK @ Gosforth Civic Hall
May 2 – Glasgow, UK @ Mono
May 3 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
May 6 – Bristol, UK @ Trinity Centre
May 7 – Exeter, UK @ Phoenix
May 8 – Southampton, UK @ Papillon
May 9 – London, UK @ Hackney Church
May 10 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
May 15 – Istanbul, TK @ Salon IKSV
May 16 – Warsaw, PL @ Niebo
May 17 – Berlin, DE @ XJAZZ!
May 21 – Paris, FR @ Le Petit Bain
May 22 – Lille, FR @ L’Aéronef
May 23 – Brussels, BE @ La Botanique
May 24 – Amsterdam, NL @ Zonnehuis
May 25 – Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
May 26 – Rotterdam, NL @ Bird
June 1 – Torino, Italy @ Bunker (Jazz Is Dead)
June 7 – Cluj-Napoca, RO @ Jazz In The Park
July 2/5 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
July 4 – Sete, FR @ Worldwide
July 17 – Molde NO, @ Moldejazz
