Blueprints & Vignettes
Barry’s “gripping dialogue between the concrete and the abstract” attracted 4-stars from the Sydney Morning Herald and a long-listing for the Australian Music Prize.
“Barry is not only a musical cosmonaut in the sense of an intrepid and fearless space explorer, but the universe he explores is largely one of his own making.”
Barry’s third album as a leader, Blueprints & Vignettes was released in January 2018 on Earshift Music.
A product of Barry’s PhD in composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Blueprints & Vignettes reflects his parallel interests in jazz, free improvisation and 20th century classical music. The album dances between intricate compositions and free improvisation in an exploration of harmonic hues and the spontaneous re-imagination of pre-set structures, reflecting an eclectic palate of influences ranging from Paul Bley to Elliott Carter.
Joining Barry are longstanding collaborators Jeremy Rose (alto saxophone, bass clarinet), Max Alduca (bass) and Dave Goodman (drums). Beautifully captured at Sydney’s Sony Studios by engineer Ross A’hern, the album marks a distinctive contribution to Barry’s growing output.