Insight
A series in which a musician gives us insight into the background of one of their recordings
Dave Manington's Riff Trio
When Time Stood Still
Bass player Dave Manington tells us about a recording by his Riff Trio in 2022 with Ivo Neame (piano) and Brigitte Beraha (voice).
"The group is a stripped-down version of my sextet – Riff Raff. It has more of a chamber music atmosphere than my full band, and it’s been easier to rehearse and perform as a trio recently obviously! We have been playing mostly new original material written by myself and Brigitte over the last couple of years."
"When Time Stood Still is a new piece I wrote during lockdown at the piano and sent to Brigitte to write some beautiful lyrics. It's a melodic and reflective piece of music about the sudden change of pace of life we all experienced, including the positive aspects of spending more time with loved ones. We recorded it as a trio with Ivo Neame on piano and arranged it together. The music is intimate and dynamic, with a delicate interplay forged from many years performing together."
The Words
A place to shelter, safe in your arms
as seasons become one, work hard to come undone
while I discover a lot more about you
the space I get to gaze in your eye
show time now freezes all those unimportant things
that I uncover in order to know you
quite well, rather well, very well, all too well
slow pace of life left a trail in your size
as years now trickle on, those changes far long gone
still to recover while I learn to love you
quite well.
I particularly like Ivo Neame's piano throughout the piece, the way it underlines the quality of Brigitte Beraha's voice and how it works with Dave Manington's bass. Alex Bonney's mastering of the recording should also be noted as the balance and sound are excellent. (Ed.)
Listen to When Time Stood Still