A Biography of the Rev. Absalom Dawe

A Biography of the Rev. Absalom Dawe is a solo album by English saxophonist John Surman, recorded in October 1994 and released on ECM the following year.[1]

A Biography of the Rev. Absalom Dawe
Studio album by
Released1995
RecordedOctober 1994 (1994-10)
GenreJazz
Length49:45
LabelECM
ECM 1528
ProducerManfred Eicher
John Surman chronology
Nordic Quartet
(1994)
A Biography of the Rev. Absalom Dawe
(1995)
Proverbs and Songs
(1997)

Reception

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The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings included the album in its suggested “core collection” of essential recordings.[2]

The AllMusic review by Stacia Proefrock stated: "John Surman is an artist with an amazing range and depth of style, from contemporary classical to jazz to electronic music. In few places is this more evident than on A Biography of the Rev. Absalom Dawe, on which Surman acts as a sort of one-man wind chamber ensemble... Elements of modern composition, jazz, and European folk can be heard throughout and the mood is one of reflection and wintry quiet. Overall, this is one of Surman's most daring and yet most successful projects to date."[3]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings    [2]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by John Surman.

No.TitleLength
1."First Light"2:41
2."Countless Journeys"7:31
3."A Monastic Calling"5:53
4."Druid's Circle"2:44
5."'Twas But Piety"7:21
6."Three Aspects"2:50
7."The Long Narrow Road"2:46
8."Wayfarer"9:28
9."The Far Corners"6:34
10."An Image"1:25
Total length:49:45

Personnel

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  • John Surman – soprano and baritone saxophone, alto and bass clarinets, keyboards

References

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  1. ^ ECM discography Archived 2012-09-07 at the Wayback Machine accessed October 4, 2011
  2. ^ a b Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1365. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  3. ^ a b Proefrock, S. AllMusic Review accessed October 4, 2011