Home » Jazz Musicians » Refraction

Refraction

Drawing inspiration from the sensibilities of pop lyricism and melody, Chris Broomhead’s trio project Refraction melds the various colours of contemporary jazz composition and improvisation together into a compelling musical soundscape. Refraction celebrates the sanctity of simplicity, upholding the primacy of a song’s melody whilst leaving space for collective ensemble interaction and improvisation.

They released their debut album As We Were in March 2015 and it was nominated for Best Jazz Album in The Age Music Victoria Awards of that year. Their follow-up recording entitled Inerrant Space was released in May of 2016 and their third album Reimagined was released in June 2017. Their fourth studio recording The Outsider was released in June 2019 with the follow-up EP Three Improvisations released in September 2019.

The trio is Chris Broomhead on drums, Brenton Foster on piano and Jordan Tarento on double bass.

Awards

Debut album 'As We Were' was nominated for Best Jazz Album' The Age Music Victoria Awards 2015'.


Tags

2
Album Review

Refraction: The Outsider

Read "The Outsider" reviewed by Mark Sullivan


Australian trio Refraction recorded this album just before drummer and bandleader Chris Broomhead's relocation to Nashville, Tennessee (which is now given as the group's home city on their Bandcamp page). As on the last two albums, Inerrant Space (Rare Colour Records, 2016) and Reimagined (Rare Colour Records, 2017), Broomhead is joined by pianist Brenton Foster and bassist Jordan Tarento. There is one major change for this album. The previous ones were all recorded in a traditional recording studio. ...

7
Album Review

Refraction: Reimagined

Read "Reimagined" reviewed by Mark Sullivan


Melbourne-based piano trio Refraction follows up Inerrant Space (Rare Colour Records, 2016) with another collection of mostly original music. Drummer Chris Broomhead again composed most of the selections, with one contribution from bassist Jordan Tarento (nothing from pianist Brenton Foster this time out) and a surprise cover of Joni Mitchell's “Amelia" from her album Hejira (Asylum, 1976). Opener “Provenance" eases in slowly with an unaccompanied ostinato pattern, joined by bass, then cymbals. Once the tune gets going it ...

9
Album Review

Refraction: Inerrant Space

Read "Inerrant Space" reviewed by Mark Sullivan


Refraction is an Australian piano trio led by drummer Chris Broomhead, who also composed most of the music. He is joined by pianist Brenton Foster (who contributes two tunes) and double bassist Jordan Tarento. Inerrant Space definitely does not sound like a “drummer's album." It's very much a group sound, as the collective group name implies. Broomhead makes his mark by his writing and sensitive playing: there are no drum solos. The music is bright, lyrical and impressionistic, ...

Read more articles
478

Recording

Ben Allison - Action-Refraction (Palmetto Records, 2011)

Ben Allison - Action-Refraction (Palmetto Records, 2011)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland

Bassist and composer Ben Allison has been at the forefront of the modern jazz scene as a band leader and the driving force behind the (now sadly defunct) Jazz Composers Collective and Herbie Nichols Project. Although widely respected as a composer, on this album he turns the tables, covering the music of other artists for the most part, and including aspects of progressive rock into his palette.

He is accompanied on this album by Michael Blake on bass clarinet and ...

313

Recording

Hakan Brostrom Quartet Featuring Joey Calderazzo- "Refraction" CD & MP3 Download Release

Hakan Brostrom Quartet Featuring Joey Calderazzo- "Refraction" CD & MP3 Download Release

Source: Michael Ricci

Art of Life Records is pleased to present alto/soprano saxophonist and composer Hkan Brostrm's recording debut for Art of Life Records. Joining Hkan on “Refraction" are pianist Joey Calderazzo (Branford Marsalis), drummer Daniel Fredriksson and acoustic bassist Martin Sjstedt. The album features a version of the song “Nothing Personal" written by pianist Don Grolnick which originally appeared on saxophonist Michael Brecker's self-titled recording debut in addition to a version of the song “See Saw" written by pianist Richie Beirach. Pianist ...

120

Recording

Debut CD by the James Davis Quintet - "Angles of Refraction" - Now Available

Debut CD by the James Davis Quintet - "Angles of Refraction" - Now Available

Source: All About Jazz

Angles of Refraction, the debut album of the James Davis Quintet, is now available on ears&eyes Records. This album features nine original compositions by James Davis, who has also composed for the collaborative group Zing!, and the adventurous Tomorrow Music Orchestra. The quintet is grounded in the language of Jazz from the last 30 or so years, and incorporates sounds bordering on pop/rock and even drum 'n bass rhythms. Throughout these stylistic tangents, however, a common thread of patience and ...

"What Refraction is doing led by Chris Broomhead suggests exactly that. Through a musical prism, Refraction takes you on a musical journey buoyed by the expected and challenged by the unexpected. That's what making listening to Refraction so enjoyable and refreshing." (Greg Pogue, Host of Nashville Jazz on Acme Radio Live, 24/5/19)

“a thoroughly enjoyable album by a group with their own voice” (Mark Sullivan, All About Jazz review, 17/8/16)

“The trio’s music balances between the state of serenity and an intense urgency” (Nikos Fotakis, AustralianJazz.net interview 26/8/16)

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Whiskey In Orleans...

Rare Colour Records
2019

buy

The Outsider

Rare Colour Records
2019

buy

Three Improvisations

Rare Colour Records
2019

buy

Reimagined

Rare Colour Records
2017

buy

Inerrant Space

Rare Colour Records
2016

buy

As We Were

Rare Colour Records
2015

buy

Whiskey In Orleans (Single)

From: Whiskey In Orleans (Single)
By Refraction

Plainsong

From: Reimagined
By Refraction

Never Since

From: Inerrant Space
By Refraction

Videos

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.