Partial Magick

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‘Partial Magick’ is the 2nd album from Gifts From Crows Trio, the live embodiment of the neoclassical project founded by Richard Laurence in 2020 and is scheduled for release on the 20th of March 2026.

Whilst their debut album featured a dozen reworks of previously released piano compositions rearranged for a Jazz trio, the new collection is an entirely different beast, all the pieces having been written specifically to complement the range, colour and dynamic of the ensemble.

Recorded during several sessions at the iconic Motor Museum studio in Liverpool during 2024/25, the intention was to capture the sound of the live band as authentically as possible but with the advantage of high-fidelity production values.

Assisted by Ben Harper, who also engineered on the ‘Trio Reworks’ album, the recordings serve as a remarkable snap-shot of the band as they discover and explore their own unique sound, markedly different from their ambient jazz beginnings.

Right from the opening bars of ‘Sandalwood Psalm’ you can sense a new confidence in the band as they settle into the infectious groove of these bright, modern compositions. The drumming of Garfield Southall is probably the biggest shift in dynamic. In previous outings he largely provided percussion and gentle cymbal work to mirror the atmospheric, mostly ambient compositions. On ‘Partial Magick’ however he really comes into his own, providing a much more driving rhythm section to this bold new album.

Similarly, Helen’s superlative sax playing has taken several bold strides and is now unapologetically at the fore of the Trio’s sound. As each piece unfolds, Helen moves seamlessly from expressively playing the key melody to a fluid and creative improv, developing these lyrical ideas into a captivating aural narrative.

 Richard’s approach to composition on ‘Partial Magick’ is notably different from previous Gifts From Crows’ albums in that it was both written for the performers and to be performed. Those who have been lucky enough to catch the Trio at their low-key but intimate live shows can attest to just how effective this has been.

Richard has also changed his approach to performance, making sure that everything you hear on the album can actually be played live. Accompanying his trademark, flowing piano lines there is now a rich tapestry of samples and synth-driven layers triggered during the performance which creates a mesmerising sound-world seemingly far bigger than the 3 performers on the stage.

All in all, ‘Partial Magick’ stands as a strong new addition to the Gifts From Crows’ canon of recorded works but also as a bold statement of intent as to their future direction. Whether this can even be called ‘ambient jazz’ anymore is rather a moot point as the band has always been mercurial regarding genres and classification. Yes, there are jazz elements in Helen’s playful development of the scored melodies but the drumming and the synth work owe as much to Prog Rock as they do to Jazz and the inventive story-telling of the compositions takes them even further in that direction.

The Trio are currently working on new material as well as preparing for a string of live gigs in the spring and summer. Where they will go next is still open to debate but certainly tracks on this album such as ‘Half Moon Malady’, ‘Be’ and the title track, ‘Partial Magick’ are probably a good indication of where things are heading.

In response to unacceptable developments at Spotify in particular and also the demonstrably unfair commercial return for musicians across all streaming platforms, this album is going to be made exclusively available on Bandcamp as a physical CD and high-resolution download. 

The beautiful artwork for the album was created by Swedish photographer Johanna Ronn as part of an on-going collaboration with the band.