Travel Poems - Chapter 3: There Is No Path Back is the last installment in a trilogy that is composer/pianist Eric Pan's recording debut. The project began as a series of commissions for Pan to compose music for people with stories to tell and places with distinctive lore. The music was recorded between 2012 and 2017 on dozens of different pianos on four continents. Each of the three "Chapters" has ten original compositions that include lyrical themes, solo and group improvisations, as well as field recordings collected from all over the world. The liner notes for each album contain "postcards" for each track that briefly explain what was going on internally as well as externally during Pan's travels. I haven't yet heard the first two chapters of this amazing trilogy, but I will very soon! Chapter 1 is titled Secret Towns and Chapter 2 is The Night Sea.

Eric Pan was born in Taiwan and was raised "on-the-go" between Taipei, Boulder, CO and the American Southwest. After discovering jazz in college, Eric spent ten years as a New York City jazz pianist and composer. On There Is No Path Back, Eric plays piano on nine of the tracks and keyboard on one. On some of the tracks, he is joined by Nir Sabag on bass and/or Hugo Reydet on drums.

The album begins with "Sellwood By Bicycle," a fascinating montage of sounds that include bells and running feet before the piano enters for a short solo. "Sunrise Market" is piano with background sounds of a marketplace as well as some drums and percussion - colorful and easy-going. "View From a Llama" was inspired by the universal power of flight and is an ensemble piece for keyboard, percussion and bass - relaxed and warm with a very pleasant groove. "Sequel To a Memory" returns to solo piano with a variety of quiet sounds occasionally audible in the background. Slow, open and very soulful, it's a favorite. "After the Whistle" feels much more playful with the sounds of a merry-go-round, children playing and birds chirping before the easy-going piano solo comes in. More "found sounds" bring the piece to a close. "Honey and Spirits" comes from confronting darkness within. It begins as a very spare and melancholy piano solo that gradually picks up the tempo as well as the spirit when the drums and bass enter. Near the middle of the piece, the musicians find their groove and take flight, fading out at the end - another favorite! Born of defiance,"Bright Macedonia" starts out with the sound of chanting and drums followed by a short piece with the three musicians. The solo piano "Ladder of Damascus" comes from "an endless heap of questions," and does seem to express a flurry of thoughts. "Twilight Far" is the most ambient of the tracks. Very open and peaceful, the long series of chords is both soothing and hypnotic. "Epilogue" closes the album with a series of sounds that reflect on unknown wonder.

Travel Poems - Chapter 3: There Is No Path Back is available to stream or download from Bandcamp. A limited-edition CD box set can be ordered there, too. All three chapters of Travel Poems will be available digitally on Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes as well as many streaming platforms. Those links will be added as they become available. It's a fascinating collection and I very highly recommend it!