Record Reviews

MMO ENSEMBLE ~ ANY DAY NOW ORA FONOGRAM 134 (Barcode: 7090015631347) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the second album by the Norwegian saxophonist / composer Martin Myhre OlsenFind albums by this artist and his MMO EnsembleFind albums by this artist, which is a platform he uses to realize his ambitious large scale projects. On this album the ensemble is expanded to a 12tet and includes besides Olsen also saxophonist Andre RolighetenFind albums by this artist, trombonist Oyvind BraekkeFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Erik Kimestad PedersenFind albums by this artist, vocalist Siril Malmedal HaugeFind albums by this artist, guitarist Karl BjoraFind albums by this artist, pianist Ayumi TanakaFind albums by this artist, violinists Hakon AaseFind albums by this artist and Adrian Loseth WaadeFind albums by this artist, cellist Kaja Fjellberg PettersenFind albums by this artist, bassist Christian Meaas SvendsenFind albums by this artist and drummer Simon Olderskog AlbertsenFind albums by this artist. The album presents a live recording of an eleven-part suite composed by Olsen, which is a Jazz & Poetry endeavor. The album´s title and the titles of the individual tracks derive from a poem by James BaldwinFind albums by this artist and poetry by Emily DickinsonFind albums by this artist and E. E. CummingsFind albums by this artist is used within the suite. The music is mostly composed, based on strongly melodic motifs, but allows space for improvised passages. The large scale ensemble is capable of producing a rich orchestral sound but also fragments of intimate small scale moments and even individual solo statements. The fact that this highly complex music was recorded live as truly astounding. Both the ensemble performances and the individual statements by all the musicians involved are extraordinary. The ensemble spirit, which in a large ensemble like this one is often quite problematic, works here like a charm and the resulting music flows coherently and flawlessly from one piece to the next. But of course it is the musical concept and the compositional ability of Olsen that stands in the center of attention. Olsen talks about bringing the "Duke EllingtonFind albums by this artist Spirit" of Jazz composition into the 21st Century, and indeed his compositions are certainly inspired and influenced by Ellington´s works, but the transition into contemporary idioms is entirely his own creation. One might wish to fantasize how the Ellington Orchestra would sound today and listening to this album is of course one way to accomplish this fantasy. This album certainly continues the Ellington tradition of an orchestra based on virtuosi instrumentalists playing complex and intricate arrangements and featuring vocals. But of course one must not take these direct comparisons too far. Overall this is a stunning piece of music, which offers a vast amount of ideas and emotions, which are simply impossible to comprehend by listening to the album just once. With each listening session a true music lover will discover new layers and experience new thrills. It certainly looks like Olson is cementing his position on the large orchestral Jazz scene and if this is his early period, the sky is the limit. This album is a wonderful example of what European Jazz is able to accomplish using its own language. Although this music is not really representative of the Nordic Jazz idiom, the musical atmosphere of freedom, acceptance and open-mindedness among the young local musicians in Norway is pushing the music in the country to explore uncharted territory and make constant progress. This is definitely an exquisite album, which deserves to be heard and studied by all true music connoisseurs around the world. Absolutely and wholeheartedly recommended, and hats off to these young Jazz lions!

Updated: 23/10/2020Posted: 11/10/2018

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MMO ENSEMBLE ~ LONELY CREATURES ORA FONOGRAM 097 (Barcode: 7090015630975) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by Norwegian saxophonist / composer Martin Myhre OlsenFind albums by this artist and his MMO EnsembleFind albums by this artist, which is his platform to present his music projects. The ensemble is an octet and includes also vocalist Kari Eskild HavenstromFind albums by this artist, baritone saxophonist Eirik HegdalFind albums by this artist, violinist Adrian Loseth WaadeFind albums by this artist, guitarist Viljar Dyvik SellevoldFind albums by this artist, Swedish pianist Oscar GronbergFind albums by this artist, bassist Bjorn Marius HeggeFind albums by this artist and drummer Simon Olderskog AlbertsenFind albums by this artist. The music is a concept eleven-part suite composed by Olsen, which he defines as "embracing stories from distant past or future, imaginative beings and fairytales". The album´s artwork suits the above description perfectly. Also melodic and lyrical, the music includes a fair amount of freely improvised passages, which somewhat contradicts the a/m idyllic description of its character. The instrumentation / orchestration of the music causes it to sound like some of the contemporary Classical chamber efforts, but the improvised parts anchor it within the Jazz idiom, creating an interesting cross genre amalgam with a self-defined aesthetics. At times the music also ventures into a "soundtrack mode" or Cabaret music, all being different manifestations of Olsen´s vision as a composer. Strangely enough, although characteristically European, it has no Scandinavian flavors, neither Folklore nor Jazz related, and sounds like something that might have been composed by a German, Austrian or East European composer. This might be the influence of the Trondheim University Music Department, where Olsen and the ensemble members have studied. The individual performances are all top notch. Especially praiseworthy is the usage of the human voice as an instrument, a tendency quite popular lately with young European composers, and the vocalese parts are some of this album´s best moments. But all the instrumentalists also play extended solos and there are plenty of opportunities for personal statements. The rhythm section has a difficult task of keeping the music flowing, especially in view of the fact that most of the tempi are extremely slow. As a result the bass provides an almost metronome like pulse and the drums ornament the music rather than setting the pace. Overall this is a very impressive debut effort, which shows Olsen´s great potential as a composer and the ensemble members as rising young Jazz and beyond musicians. The music is far from being trivial and requires attentive listening and a lot of patience in order to be absorbed properly, with repeated listening session being highly recommended. "Don´t judge the book by its cover" fits the bill perfectly here, as the album is way darker and profound than its exterior. It is heartwarming to hear young European musicians producing work of such quality like this one, which does not swing and is not based on trivial chord progressions, yet nevertheless manages to become challenging, intelligent contemporary Jazz, rather than an echo of ancient and weathered traditions. Well done indeed!

Updated: 10/10/2018Posted: 08/05/2016

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NAKAMA ~ BEFORE THE STORM NAKAMA 001 (Barcode: 7090040250001) ~ NORWAY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by the Norwegian quartet NakamaFind albums by this artist, led by bassist / composer Christian Meaas SvendsenFind albums by this artist and also including violinist Adrian Loseth WaadeFind albums by this artist, Japanese (resident in Norway) pianist Ayumi TanakaFind albums by this artist and drummer Andreas WildhagenFind albums by this artist. Together they perform four original compositions, all by Svendsen. The album was recorded at the legendary Rainbow Studio in Oslo and engineered by Jan Erik KongshaugFind albums by this artist. It is very difficult to try and label this music by any conventional standards, as it is as unconventional as humanly possible. Composed and improvised, reminiscent of contemporary Classical Chamber Music, with elements of Industrial, Serial and Minimalist music amalgamated into a "weird" whole. It takes a bold and open-minded listener to listen to this music or even to go through the opening tune which lasts for over seventeen minutes and consists of a mono-rhythmic repetition of a single chord with infinitesimal changes and a slight development towards the very end. The rest of the music is slightly less confronting, but the members of Nakama certainly don´t make it "easy" on the listener and demand his total attention, involvement and cooperation. And yet, despite the effort and intellectual tension, the music manages to move and even become enjoyable in time. This is probably the greatest effect Nakama manages to achieve on this album. Playing such uncompromising music usually ends up with the music being unable to penetrate the listeners, but in this case the magic, at least for me, does happen. One must of course praise these young musicians for their pioneering spirit and their courage to stand behind what they believe in. In today´s feebleminded word, where intellectual effort is considered ridiculous, people who step beyond convention are a tiny minority. Lucky for us, such people / Artists still exist. This album is highly recommended to all brave-hearted listeners, who welcome challenge and adventure. It is certainly full of these elements. Listening to this music is a form of recognition that musicians need in order to continue on their paths and if we want our Culture to keep evolving, we need to support it.

Updated: 03/06/2016Posted: 03/06/2016

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NAKAMA ~ GRAND LINE NAKAMA 004 (Barcode: 7090040250063) ~ NORWAY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the second album by the Norwegian quartet NakamaFind albums by this artist, led by bassist / composer Christian Meaas SvendsenFind albums by this artist and also including violinist Adrian Loseth WaadeFind albums by this artist, Japanese (resident in Norway) pianist Ayumi TanakaFind albums by this artist and drummer Andreas WildhagenFind albums by this artist. Together they perform seven original compositions, all by Svendsen. The elaborate and beautifully designed packaging of the album explains a concept of musical compositions and form compositions, their correlations and how the music on this album presents a new approach to music making. Personally I listened to this music based on what I hear, rather than trying to follow the conceptual structure, as I believe that the sounds speak for themselves, often regardless of what the composer and the performers had in mind. The music has a very Classical / Chamber character, and although improvised, it sounds quite tamed and organized most of the time. The overall character of the music is similar to contemporary Classical pieces, composed in Europe in the last fifty years or so and can be heard during contemporary chamber music festivals. The melodic fragments and rhythmic pulses work together like pieces of a puzzle, creating a kaleidoscopic collage, which keeps changing all the time. Surprisingly and quite against the odds I find this music to be very communicative and engaging, which for this type of music is very rare. The musicians share the process of creation very effectively and each of them adds a different layer, which then amalgamates and intertwines with the layers created by the other players, creating a kinetic sound sculpture which develops on the fly. Although "strange" and innovative, this music offers a lot of space and silence between the notes, which enables it to breathe and the listener to absorb and respond, both emotionally and intellectually, without being overloaded. As a result this music is fun to listen to and does not require the listener to follow the "plan" behind it, but accept it in its "natural" form. Even though basically very far away from the Jazz idiom, Free Jazz / Improvising Music fans should be able to enjoy this music immensely. I definitely propose to everyone to check it out, as it surely deserves to be discovered. It is also worth mentioning that the sound quality of this recording is stunning, which is hardly surprising since it was recorded at the legendary Rainbow Studio in Oslo and engineered by Jan Erik KongshaugFind albums by this artist.

Updated: 01/06/2016Posted: 31/05/2016

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NAKAMA ~ MOST INTIMATE NAKAMA 008 (Barcode: 7090040250148) ~ NORWAY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the third album by the Norwegian quartet NakamaFind albums by this artist, led by bassist / composer Christian Meaas SvendsenFind albums by this artist and also including violinist Adrian Loseth WaadeFind albums by this artist, pianist Ayumi TanakaFind albums by this artist and drummer Andreas WildhagenFind albums by this artist. Together they perform fifteen short pieces, collected into two cycles, which were this time composed by all four members of the quartet in contrast to the two earlier albums which featured music composed only by the leader. As usual with Nakama, the music is completely beyond classification and the partly composed / partly improvised sonic experience covers many or none known musical sub-genres. Although the music, as stated by Svendsen, is not conceptual per se, there is a precise concept as to the actual execution, which features the musicians swapping instruments and playing pieces dedicated to each other, which results in solo, duo, trio and quartet appearances. The music is quite introspect and minimalistic, completely non-aggressive and always aesthetically fulfilling, presenting the infinite range of possibilities music is able to offer to the listener, which can be perfectly understood and loved, even if they are novel and unexpected. The phrase "Jazz is the Art of the unexpected" fits this music perfectly. Although Improvised Music and other forms of Avant-Garde expression often are not able to cross over from the live performance / recording session stage to the record listening stage, the music if Nakama never suffered any difficulties in that area. I have not heard as of yet the quartet live, but it appears to be obvious that their live performance should be as powerful and satisfying as their recorded work, which of course is worth checking out. Nakama announced that they will be expanding the quartet lineup to a quintet with the addition of the Austrian vocalist Agnes HvizdalekFind albums by this artist. I am most anxious to hear the next recording of Nakama in this new lineup. The album, released on the collective independent label called NakamaFind albums on this label Records, is beautifully recorded and exquisitely packaged, proposing a whole Artistic offer from the outside in, which is wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 19/05/2017

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NAKAMA ~ WORST GENERATION NAKAMA 013 ~ NORWAY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the fourth album by the Norwegian ensemble called NakamaFind albums by this artist, led by bassist Christian Meaas SvendsenFind albums by this artist, which also includes violinist Adrian Loseth WaadeFind albums by this artist, pianist Ayumi TanakaFind albums by this artist and drummer Andreas WildhagenFind albums by this artist, and also for the first time the new member of the ensemble, vocalist Agnes HvizdalekFind albums by this artist. The album presents five improvised pieces, all credited to the ensemble. The decision to move towards completely Improvised Music represents the new direction Nakama is pursuing on this album, letting go of all pre-composed elements and immersing into extreme spontaneously created Avant-Garde music. As a result the music on this album is even more difficult and estranged than their previous recordings, which might limit their contact with the established followers´ base. Devoid of any clear melodic / harmonic / rhythmic elements, the listener is faced with an abstract expressionist collection of sounds, free to react to those sonic stimuli completely unrestrained by any cognitive limitations. As a result this music might sound completely different to each and every listener, with varying degrees of conceptual communication. Perhaps this is the strongest asset of this music, which expands the communication between the ensemble members further towards the listeners as well. In spite of the abstract nature of this music, it is neither chaotic nor aggressive. I had no problem to listen to the entire album from the very first time and in fact quite enjoyed it, as I might have enjoyed an exhibition of abstract painting or any other form of abstract Art. Despite the weird and eerie external, there is some internal aesthetic in these improvisations, which manages to come through and touch the listener. This is quite rare occasion when extreme Avant-Garde manages to personally touch my musical perception so profoundly, which of course I find quite miraculous. Overall this is an album for a small and "brave" group of hyper-adventurous listeners, who are able to free themselves from all pre-conceptions and miss-conceptions and dive head first into the big unknown. Some of those people might even emerge with a smile on their face, like yours truly.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 10/11/2017

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