Well Mixed Blue is the latest release of original music from acclaimed bassist, composer, producer and sound designer Tom Lyne. The album marks a significant artistic milestone – one in which Lyne moves beyond his usual role in the rhythm section to take centre stage with a distinctive musical voice. It also stands as a celebration of his enduring creative partnership with pianist Dave Milligan. “He’s a dear friend and I adore his piano playing,” says Lyne. “We’ve improvised together a lot. You need good songs, but improvisation is the art of conversation. There’s humour and invention when we play, because we’re constantly exchanging ideas.”
During the pandemic, Lyne committed himself to the double bass with renewed intensity, developing a disciplined practice regime and reconnecting with the instrument – while composing specifically for the pared-back duo setting with Milligan. Inspired by the legendary partnership of Sheila Jordan and Harvey S, as well as his long-standing collaboration with Sophie Bancroft, Lyne’s writing on Well Mixed Blue is rooted in exploration, subtlety and sonic narrative. “One of the things that fascinates me is how harmony works,” he explains. “I think of it in terms of textures and tensions – how they relate to one another, rather than in fixed tonal terms. A pianist might ask, ‘What key is it in?’ Sometimes there isn’t one. I feel a strong affinity with dense harmonic textures, underpinned by solid rhythms and lyrical melodies – music that’s fundamentally song-based, with storytelling at its core, both in the writing and the improvisation.”
Well Mixed Blue draws on this broad palette of influences, presenting a series of musical vignettes that range from meditative pieces such as ‘Sea More’, written while contemplating the ocean, to a playful stroll through David Sanborn’s 80s fusion favourite ‘Run For Cover’ to the quietly poetic ‘Holding On’. The title track offers a subtle nod to Money Jungle, the iconic 1962 session featuring Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach. “There’s a tune on the album called ‘Backwards Country Boy Blues’ – it’s a brilliant tune,” Lyne notes. “We interpret it here, but we’ve slipped in some Coltrane-style changes to make it just a bit more uncomfortable and more challenging.”“Blue is probably my favourite colour – and one of my favourite states of being. It reminds me to live, to explore, to listen to music, and to connect with people,” Lyne reflects. “Being blue doesn’t have to mean sadness. It can be introspective, generous, and thoughtful. That feeling drives the songs, and everything we improvise from them.”
Album Launch:
Thursday 19th June
Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh
Well Mixed Blue is released on LisaLeo Records in association with ECN Music. Recorded by Garry Boyle at Castlesound Studios; mixed by Tom Lyne at Hillshed; master by James McMillan at Quiet Money Studios.
Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Tom Lyne began playing violin at the age of three and later studied double bass at McGill University in Montreal. He has called Scotland home since 1998, performing with some of the country’s finest jazz artists including Brian Kellock and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra. Lyne holds an MSc in Sound Design from Napier University (2020), which led to the development of Surrounded by Midlothian – a collection of soundscape sample libraries – and the founding of Aspects of Sound, a creative audio studio. From this emerged Sonables, a series of experimental compositions combining field recordings, textures and bass improvisation. Lyne’s 2016 solo album Far From Mars blends electronic music with improvisation to create a retro yet modern sound. Lyne and drummer Tom Bancroft have been members of the Dave Milligan Trio for over 15 years. Their debut album Late Show received critical acclaim for its warmth and originality. Lyne continues to perform with his long-time musical partner Sophie Bancroft (Bancroft & Lyne) presenting an intimate, joyful mix of original jazz-infused songs, reinvented standards and covers of artists such as Suzanne Vega and Joni Mitchell.
