Pedal was first played on NTS on 14 October 2023. Songs played include On Xmas Day.

Pedal is Chris Abrahams and Simon James Phillips. Beautifully recorded in a concert hall on two concert grands - these seven pieces have an emotional intensity, which transcends the minimalist form of their conception. What are they thinking? These guys are doing a record of acoustic piano music in this day and age! And let me tell you something, my prejudice was totally crushed within the first minute of listening to this CD. Just when I was thinking two grand pianos, four hands have nothing to say in this 21st century… Yes, we have two grand pianos, four hands, and two brilliant minds! These musical soldiers are highly decorated. Both players were drawing from their unique musical gene pool. Every single piece of music on this recording was fully improvised. I was making little imaginary film clips in my head to all seven improvisations on this CD. A range of emotions was deeply felt. To borrow a phrase from Mr Ornette Coleman in relation to his view about the state of music in general… “Beauty is a rare thing”. Well, here is that rare thing.

Chris Abrahams (The Necks, Sydney): Jazz, be-bop, hard-bop, free, rock 'n' roll, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, improvisation, Terry Riley, and dare I say… Little Richard.

Simon James Phillips (Sydney): Concert hall, opera house, chamber works, Grieg, Janacek, Feldman, Ives, old-school, new-school, classically trained pianist, conductor, pedagogue.

http://www.thenecks.com http://simonjamesphillips.com