Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Life is such that to retreat to a comfortable space, to feel the warmth of fire that flickers in time with your heartbeat and to have a sound playing in your soul from the system of your choice, is not just an act of pleasure, it is a recommended pursuit of self-care; and when the music is the pace at which we set our personal clocks to, in which we find our rhythm aligns with the pulse of a discerning universe, then we know we are in the presence of masters.

The Vincent Burke Trio may be a name relatively unknown to the universe’s inhabitants, but as the need for self-care, for a sense of relaxation as the sound acts with a grace and frenzy of opportunity, so the name perhaps will grow, will be one in which to remember as Time is under the spotlight of creative passion.

It is often argued that without passion music, art, is nothing, and to hear it in such abundance in the new recording of 10 by 3 is such an understanding of that insistence that as Vincent, Paul, and Hana consistently look to the stars, they are assured that the universe knows of their existence, and revels in the pursuit of the virtuosity and flair on offer.

It’s an emotional reveal, the fierce nature is stated, but also expertly held back till the pulse is ready to be raised, to have the impact it desires, and like love, bites down hard on the drama and unveils a heart ready to feel alive, to rampage, to be soft and gentle when the caress is required, to rage when it must.

Across tracks such as Forward To The Sun, A Conversation With Fate, Birds In Flight, Wedding Song, and the superb Ice Cream Parlours, 10 by 3 is a technique of observation driven by a trio so in tune with each other that they find a pulse of the listener no matter where they lay their healing hands and their sound that beats with eloquence and genius.

An album of resourceful and inspired generosity, a time in which to rest, reflect, and realise just how much you needed to be in its presence.

Ian D. Hall