Peter Erskine: Peregrine

HARD WAG RECORDS (RELEASED APRIL 10, 2026)

Peregrines can nest in any environment. They have been known to make their homes on rocky cliffs near water, window ledges on skyscrapers, on bridges, and even in abandoned nests of other bird. So, Peregrine is an apt title for the latest release from drummer Peter Erskine. Working with pianist Alan Pasqua and bassist Scott Colley, the trio lands in a variety of musical nests — calypso to ballads and blues to funk. They take their time to explore the melodic and harmonic surroundings with subtlety and joy on tunes such as Keith Jarrett’s januty “Bop Be,” a relaxed cover of Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman” and the meditative “On the Lake.” The same is true for their transformation of Brian Wilson’s “God Only Knows” into a true jazz ballad and their ability to add some rhythmic interest to the angular “David’s Blues,” which could have easily been just another standard blues. Yet, on tunes such as the modal “Leaving LA,” featuring saxophonist Bob Sheppard, and the playful calypso beat of “Chillipso,” they tend to fly off before those musical nests take full shape. In one case, they landed on a nesting place that simply did not suit them — the poppish “Poetry Man,” featuring Sheppard, vocalist Kate Lamont and Pasqua’s electric piano With the exception of succinct and perfectly played drum breaks on “David’s Blues” and “Bop Be,” Erskine prefers to build the rhythmic structure of the musical nests with simplicity and sophistication. Those nests provide comforting environments for Pasqua’s lyricism (check out his playing on “God Only Knows”) and Colley’s sensitive yet powerful solos (check out “Gumbo Time” and “Dear Chick”). Except for “Poetry Man,” blue heron may have been a better ornithological title for this release. After all, unlike peregrines, which are known for their seed, the blue heron is known for their graceful and majestic soaring and that’s what the majority of Peregrine is all about.

BOTTOM LINE: The music on Peregrines does not suggest the speed for which these birds are known. However, it does reflect their nickname as the wandering falcon. The trio of drummer Erskine, pianist Alan Pasqua and bassist Scott Colley tend to wander through various musical grooves more like a blue heron — gracefully and elegantly.