Otherlands Trio
Star Mountain
INTAKT
When the Borderlands Trio went on hiatus in 2024, two-thirds of its complement was not ready to quit. In short order bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Eric McPherson found a new third person, and Otherlands Trio came into being. Replacing pianist Kris Davis with the tonally adventurous and emotionally authentic alto saxophonist Darius Jones ensures that certain things will not be the same, but one essential quality persists. While all three mem bers are credited with creating the music, and they did so in real time, they do not consider themselves to be a free-improv ensemble, but spontaneous composers. The difference likes in a commitment to cohesion; they may not know what they’re going to play when they start, but each participant will make sure that they have the other two’s backs.
On the opening track of this studio record ing, “Metamorphene,” this shared purpose manifests in a bass-drums groove that contin ually morphs but never quits, which enables Jones to pursue a series of short, cork-**** ing lines wherever they might lead. Jones once more finds freedom in the locked-in quality of the Julius Hemphill-like rhythm that begins “Lateral Line,” but he’s ready to melt his own tone into Crump’s to create a single stream of sound during the track’s second half. Likewise, the saxophonist’s pops and McPherson’s stacca to patterns at the beginning of “Diadromous” sound like the work of one hybrid drum kit.
Star Mountain necessarily sounds different from the three albums that McPherson and Crump made with Davis, but it sustains that project’s creative streak.

Drei CDs hat das Borderlands Trio in der Besetzung Kris Davis, p, Stephan Crump, b, und Eric McPherson, dr, beim Zürcher Intakt-Label veröffentlicht. Das Otherlands Trio bezieht sich im Bandnamen und in Covergestaltung darauf. Statt Davis spielt hier Darius Jones, as, mit der Rhythmussektion. Doch wieviel von der phänomenal schlüssig mäandernden Homogenität von Borderlands ist auf Otherlands übergegangen und was an Neuem hinzugekommen? Von zwei viertelstündigen Stücken, »Metamorpheme« und »Imago«, werden drei weitere umrahmt, die insgesamt eine Viertelstunde ausmachen. In den langen Nummern lässt man los, Crump und McPherson wie im Trio zuvor intensiv ineinander festgehakt, sich erahnend und vorantreibend, aber individuell sichtbar. Auf der Grundlage von deren Zusammenspiel bringt Jones abstrakte wie melodiöse Figuren ein, insistiert zwar immer wieder, wird aber nie aus-
fallend. Manches gerät ihm dabei allerdings etwas ziellos, zu sehr Girlande, dann wieder zu geräuschhaft-kopflastig. Die kürzeren Stücke überzeugen mehr, sie werden fokussiert auf den Inhalt hin vorgetragen, zwei von ihnen mit klaren Spannungskurven, doch ohne dass man spontane Eingebungen vermisst. Ein nicht makelloser, aber ein hochwertiger Musikvortrag.

Fall Review Roundup: Otherlands Trio celebrates debut album release at The Jazz Gallery

Otherlands, a new experimental trio led by Brooklyn-based bassist Stephan Crump, featuring saxophonist Darius Jones and drummer Eric McPherson, celebrated the release of their debut album, “Star Mountain,” with two standout performances at The Jazz Gallery on October 17. The album, released by Swedish independent label Intakt Records, “arises from the pursuit of ego dissolution and spiritual community,” according to their Bandcamp profile. Together the trio showcased the dynamic range of not only themselves as players, but of each of their instruments, illustrating new and interesting musical possibilities through non-conventional use of their tools creating lush landscapes of noise and sound interweaved and juxtaposed against moments of groove, soul, and of course: swing. Otherlands can be seen as an expansion or reimagining of Borderlands, a trio consisting of Crump, McPherson, and pianist Kris Davis that is currently on hiatus according to Otherlands’ Bandcamp page. Jones, McPherson, and Crump, already established and respected voices in the New York jazz and avant-garde scenes, came together to showcase what exciting possibilities lie in the clashing of such distinct voices. The music’s relationship to “ego death” was on display, as the three virtuoso musicians committed to long passages of sound that at times sounded like the sea. Jones, who formerly taught at The New School and recently took a position at Wesleyan University, is a master manipulator of the horn, using that saxophone to highlight qualities of playing the instrument that may seem obvious, but are often overlooked or even intentionally hidden — the sound of the air moving through the horn and the percussive nature of pressing the buttons on the saxophone, for example, were central to Jones’ approach and sound at the performance on Friday.

Together, the trio questioned audience notions about the definition, dynamic range, and possibilities of what is considered jazz, leaning into the free, improvisational nature of the medium. Experimental music often has a reputation for being noisy, which for some makes it inaccessible or harder to digest. While these elements were at times present, at others the opposite notion persisted — moments of conventional beauty existed alongside more eclectic and abrasive passages. The trio will continue to perform select dates throughout the fall. You can check out Otherlands’ new album at their Bandcamp, find out information about their upcoming dates at Stephan Crump’s website at stephancrump.com, and stay up to date with Jazz Gallery programming on their calendar at jazzgallery.org.

https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2025/11/27/otherlands-trio-celebrates-debut-album-release-a-the-jazz-gallery//

Otherlands Trio: Star Mountain (Intakt; 2025) Por Carlos Lara [Grabación de jazz]
Álbum debut del trío formado por Stephan Crump (contrabajo), Darius Jones (saxo alto) y Eric McPherson (batería), bajo la denominación de Otherlands Trio. El grupo proviene en parte de la continuidad del proyecto previo del contrabajista y baterista, que colaboraban ya en otra formación llamada Borderlands Trio. Entre 2017 y 2024, esta banda, con Kris Davis al piano, grabó tres álbumes muy aclamados.

Otherlands Trio: Star Mountain (Intakt; 2025) Por Carlos Lara [Grabación de jazz] - Tomajazz - Star Mountain (Intakt; 2025) es el estreno de Otherlands Trio. Carlos Lara repasa la grabación. Otherlands Trio son Darius Jones, Stephan Crump, Eric McPhersonLa música de Star Mountain es audaz, fluida, improvisada, con una intensa carga de interacción colectiva y una clara intención exploratoria. Los tres llegan a espacios inesperados y a la vez atractivos. La conexión entre los músicos es palpable: Crump y McPherson ya se conocían profundamente, y con la llegada de Jones surge una nueva energía que “inmediatamente” encaja. La interacción y química del grupo hace que desaparezcan los egos y se desarrolle una comunidad musical donde cada miembro impulsa al otro. Cuando se hizo evidente que Borderlands Trio estaba en pausa, McPherson y Crump acordaron que querían continuar su colaboración para buscar nuevas maneras de explorar y expandir su energía y habilidades compartidas. En Darius Jones, encontraron al compañero perfecto para abrir nuevos caminos: «Sobre todo gustó especialmente la forma en que Jones encajó inmediatamente y construyó sobre los mundos espontáneos que McPherson y Crump crean», escribe el crítico Grayson Haver Currin en las notas del álbum, y agrega: «Los temas cumplen el objetivo de ser ‘diferentes’, con tres personas compartiendo cada sentimiento emergente en 46 minutos impresionantes, sin miedo, sin dudas y sin juicios».

El primer tema, «Metamorpheme», son 16 minutos, en los que se disfruta plenamente. Es una declaración colectiva, que establece el tono general del disco. El saxo alto de Jones realiza fraseos precisos, y el contrabajo y la batería reaccionan, impulsan, esperan y van transformando el tema en una experiencia sonora especial. Esa sensación de “trabajar juntos sin reservas” es una constante en los cinco temas.

Las piezas intermedias, «Lateral Line», «Diadromous» e «Instared», están llenas de contrastes: desde la brevedad de la primera hasta los diferentes climas de las otras. «Imago», que lo cierra, es otro tema destacado, largo también, que parece condensar todo lo que se ha expuesto con anterioridad y supone un logrado colofón.

En el disco predomina la improvisación colectiva, la sensación de tocar sin red en el momento, aunque con cohesión. El contrabajo de Crump no es solo soporte rítmico, sino protagonista: voz que impulsa, que se entrelaza con el saxo. Darius Jones va de lo visceral a lo meditativo. McPherson se muestra ágil y sensible, con un ritmo a veces complejo y otras veces minimalista.

En general, el disco evidencia una sensación de gran libertad y de contemplación, a veces, casi espiritual. La grabación respeta ese aire de inmediatez (grabado en una sesión larga, con toma de tiempo real), lo cual contribuye a que uno perciba «lo que estaba en el aire el día de la sesión».

Música que invita a sumergirse en ella y que supone más un desafío que un confort inmediato. Como en otros casos, puede requerir varias escuchas para descubrir plenamente sus matices. Star Mountain es una obra de profundo compromiso, una inmersión en la comunicación musical sin barreras entre tres músicos de alto calibre.

https://tomajazz.com/web/otherlands-trio-star-mountain-intakt-2025/

Bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Eric McPherson add Darius Jones on alto sax to their ongoing partnership — and it is a fully improvised classic of amazing sounds

For those of you following my work in reviewing music, you might wonder how I decide what albums to review in this new video format and which I would prefer to write about on PopMatters. Sometimes, I think that my words alone can’t describe the music accurately and people need to HEAR it.

That is the case with Star Mountain by the Otherlands Trio. The alto saxophone of Darius Jones is a truly sonic experience. His brilliance is not just in the notes or rhythms that he uses to express himself, but the very unique sound that he creates on his horn. His signature is recognizable but not narrowly defined. You have to listen to appreciate his powerful tone, his facility in the altissimo register, and his ability to generate musicality using advanced techniques.

Much the same is true with this terrific rhythm section. Crump and McPherson have previously partnered with pianist Kris Davis as the Borderlands Trio, and this new album is an extension of their sensibility. It is bracing, adventurous, and a marvel of how pure improvisation does not mean a lack of structure.

https://willlayman.substack.com/p/video-review-the-otherlands-trio

Bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Eric McPherson, two of jazz’s most forward-thinking rhythmists, form the core of the Borderlands Trio alongside pianist Kris Davis. After three acclaimed albums with that group, the pair decided to continue their collaboration, this time summoning powerhouse alto saxophonist Darius Jones—a central figure in New York’s avant-garde scene known for fusing modern expressiveness with old-school improvisational spirit. Together, they form Otherlands Trio, an improvisation-centered ensemble whose elliptical and sectional journeys yield revelatory musical discoveries. Star Mountain, their debut, features five tracks—two expansive (of approximately 15 minutes) and three concise explorations.

“Metamorpheme” opens with a spiritual, modal energy—you can call it whatever you want: prayer, lament, supplication, or invocation—that immediately reaches the heart and uplifts the spirit. Crump’s commanding arco and pizzicato work resonates with depth, unfolding in double-stops, pedal points, and supple grooves. McPherson, deeply attuned to the music’s pulse, crafts a flowing tapestry of rhythmic dialogue, while Jones emerges as an instinctive explorer, often shaping tension in the form of motivic discussions. The trio’s rhythmic shifts captivate throughout, and the piece concludes in a dance-inflected flourish.

McPherson’s deft cross-stick work animates both “Lateral Line” and “Diadromous”. The former concludes in with multiphonic mode complemented with bass bites and pitched saxophone squeaks for an abstract atmosphere; the latter pulses with athletic bass funkiness, propelling Jones into high-flying solos that, by turns, channel Coltrane, Fred Anderson, and Dewey Redman.

On the shorter “Instared”, Jones tests the upper limits of his horn while Crump anchors the sound with earthy resonance and McPherson envelops it all in hypnotic percussion. “Imago” glows with the trio’s spontaneous chemistry—martial snare attacks, impeccably harmonized bass fluxes, and the saxophone climbing and descending mountainous phrases with an authoritative sequence of notes. The trio engages in an accelerando, creating a wonderful sense of displacement before returning to the modal avant-garde context. It ends with rippling bass oscillations and loping drums.

Each member of Otherlands Trio brings a fully realized musical identity to the group, united in a collective pursuit of freedom that transforms raw improvisation into vivid, finely textured sonic canvases.

https://jazztrail.net/blog/otherlands-trio-star-mountain-album-review

As Borderlands, double bassist Stephan Crump, drummer Eric McPherson and pianist Kris Davis developed an astonishing strain of improvised music - a series of extended excursions where heightened interplay and a devotion to timbre and colour eclipsed the group's heady command of melody and harmony.
When the group took a hiatus in 2024, the bassist and drummer wanted to build on the connection they forged together, so they decided to enlist alto saxophonist Darius Jones, whose instrument and temperament guaranteed a different sound, but whose commitment to exploration would enable their process to keep growing. Crump and McPherson continue to forge a mix of abstract structures and indirect propulsion, leaning into instinct more than groove, but the linear quality of Jones's playing can't help but change the approach. It's all still improvised on the spot, but where Davis added additional layers to the edifice, Jones rides across or burrows into it, depending on the given moment.
Otherlands Trio move in and out of elusive patterns. Over 16 breathless minutes the opening piece "Metamorpheme" latches on to fleeting grooves, only to collapse them as suddenly as they appear, not as an act of destruction but as a process of reinvention. What may seem like a Crump bass solo over McPherson's inventive cymbal play is really just another duo passage with shifting instrumental emphasis.
Nobody in the trio is ever subservient, even if they do step back. Toward the end of the piece Jones locks into a corkscrewing riff, perpetually stoked and cajoled by the rhythm section, who elsewhere set a rhythmic table for his wide open blowing. "Diadromous" does maintain an irresistible groove for its duration, with Jones crafting lines that burn into the rhythm like etched glass. It may seem like free jazz, but ultimately Otherlands Trio thrives because the members draw so openly on
lifelong experience and learning, surrendering self in pursuit of a truly collective conception.

Die enorme Energie, die dieses Trio entfesselt, bahnt sich ihren Weg en détail. Altist Darius Jones, Bassist Stephan Crump und Schlagzeuger Eric McPherson ertasten, auch in den relativ kurzen Stücken, gemeinsam das musikalische Terrain. Zurückhaltend aber aufmerksam, dabei stets in gespannter Konzentration, probieren sie Möglichkeiten aus, werfen Ideen in den Raum, oft auch ganze Strukturen. Diese werden bewertet, erweitert, auf ihre Belastbarkeit geprüft, wobei letztendlich alle Drei spontan nach dem stimulierenden Flow suchen. So lassen sie sich aufeinander ein, unterstützen sich äußerlich und inhaltlich, sie provozieren sich bewusst, suchen nach neuen Formen und Folgerungen, verwerfen, verlassen den sicheren Boden, intensivieren und lassen ihre Musik immer wieder fliegen. Hier geht es weniger um melodische Entwicklungen, stattdessen um ein individuelles Verzahnen von Klängen und Landschaften. So wird „Star Mountain“ des Otherlands Trio zu einem improvisierten Achttausender, dessen wahre Größe und Ausmaß erst während der Ersteigung deutlich wird.
Crumps Vielfalt ist das Ergebnis seines einstigen Studiums von klassischem Klavier und Altsaxophon, dann, am Amherst College (Massachusetts) erwarb er den Bachelor of Music am Bass. Er war Mitglied in den Bands von Tommy Dorsey und Greg Osby, von Bluesmusikern wie Johnny Copeland und von Songwritern wie Ashford and Simpson oder Patti Austin. Später spielte er mit den absoluten Genies des Jazz, wie Vijay Iyer, Mary Halvorson und Steve Lehman.
Mit Schlagzeuger Eric McPherson verbindet Crump eine langjährige Partnerschaft. Dieser mit verzehrender Intensität trommelnde Rhythmiker ist ein sensibler und höchst subtiler Begleiter. Mit zwölf Jahren nahm er ersten Unterricht, war mit achtzehn festes Mitglied in den Bands von Jackie McLean, arbeitete unter anderen mit Pharoah Sanders und Andrew Hill.
Jüngster im Bunde ist der in New York lebende Altsaxophonist Darius Jones. Er arbeitet als Komponist, Produzent und Instrumentalist in den Bereichen elektroakustischer und experimenteller Musik, Kammermusik, Folklore, Jazz, sowie im modernen Tanz und in Multimedia-Projekten. Für seine Arbeit als Solist und Komponist wurde er mit etlichen Auszeichnungen geehrt.

https://www.kultkomplott.de/Artikel/Musik/#article_anchor_3734

This debut album, Star Mountain, by the Otherlands Trio, was born of another, the Borderlands Trio, with pianist Kris Davis, bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Eric McPherson. Crump and McPherson wished to continue their collaboration and so reconvened without their pianist, thus forming the Otherlands Trio with alto saxophonist Darius Jones.
Both the bassist and drummer have appeared in small formats on several other albums on the Swiss Intakt label, including Borderlands Trio’s three albums, as well as with Mary Halvorson, Ingrid Laubrock, Cory Smythe, David Virelles and Ohad Talmor.
This new trio signals Jones’ first appearance on the label and a rare outing outside his own projects. His skewed melodic lines, insubordinate swirls, peremptory and sometimes hoarse sound, free yet compendious playing, aren’t this release’s only merit. McPherson is also a joy to listen to, never predictable, establishing rhythms only to deconstruct them with the help of his more subdued but unwavering bass accomplice. The spontaneously-created compositions (two long tracks encircling three shorter ones) are credited to all three members and offer original angles aplenty. The recording is pristine, allowing the listener to appreciate each member’s ideas, interactions and changes of pace. The ultimate result, however, feels like the debut that it is — three musicians sizing each other up, working things out between them. It’s a cautious approach, without the urgency of Jones’ works under his own name or the whole-hearted stretches into the unknown that made the Borderlands Trio so valuable, live and on record. Consequently, the 46 minutes of Star Mountain feel too short, leaving this listener longing for more. There’s much potential for development, especially of the abstract and textural parts such as the penultimate “Instared” (a mere interlude) or the ending of closer “Imago”. Looking forward to the next volume.

Der Kontrabassist Stephan Crump und der Drummer Eric McPherson knüpfen als OTHER­LANDS TRIO mitStar Mountain (Intakt CD 442) zusammen mit Darius Jones am Altosax an ihr Borderlands Trio mit Kris Davis an. Jones ist in seiner Entfaltung von den wilden Jah­ren mit Little Women und From Bacteria To Boys bis hin zu seiner Alien-Fiction bei „The Oversoul Manual“ und „Samesoul Maker“ eine souveräne Bereicherung ihrer eingespiel­ten Texturen aus Groove, Melodie und nuanciertem Klang. Die sich nicht mit L'art pour l'art begnügen, auch wenn die Titel nur durch die Blume auf die herrschenden Verhältnis­se anspielen: Als Fische diadrom in Süß- und Salzwasser ('Lateral Line', 'Diadromous'), mit Überlebensstrategien von Insekten ('Instared', 'Imago'). Und gleich bei 'Metamorpheme' als rhythmisch vertracktem Auftakt mit insistentem Alto und kämpferischem Nachdruck. Ob Bogenstrichen und lakonischem Klacken oder sonorem Plonken, ungraden Beats, klirrenden Muscheln, Jones setzt dem mit kakophonem Gusto eine Narrenkappe auf oder mit hymnischer oder bohrender Verve die Krone. Bis hin zu 'Imago' als holprigem Bug-Eyed-Marsch, weil einige nicht mehr auf 6 Beine staksen und sie zuletzt auf den Buckel nehmen können. [BA 130 rbd]