Record Reviews

MAGNUS BAKKEN ~ CYCLES AMP 005 (Barcode: 662578830979) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Norwegian saxophonist / composer Magnus BakkenFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Jorn OienFind albums by this artist, bassist Christian Meaas SvendsenFind albums by this artist and drummer Jon Audun BaarFind albums by this artist. The album also features veteran American saxophonist George GarzoneFind albums by this artist, Bakken´s teacher at the Berklee College of Music, where he studied. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Bakken. The music is adventurous modern mainstream Jazz, which combines the American influences Bakken absorbed at Berklee with his natural Nordic inspirations, which overall is quite impressive. The themes are very lyrical and often melancholic, beautifully melodic and heartfelt. The level of the compositions is definitely very impressive, especially in the case of a debut album. Lucky for Bakken the Berklee influence did not manage to destroy his individuality. The execution is also excellent from start to finish. Oien plays some remarkable solo parts and supplies the melodic chord structure all along. The rhythm section is inventive and non-aggressive, carrying the music forward with elegance and flair. The saxophonists, both individually and as a team, play along splendidly, creating many intriguing solo parts. Garzone definitely plays more interestingly here, accompanied by the young Norwegians, than on his American recordings. Overall this is a splendid debut offer by Bakken, both as a player and a composer, which certainly shows his enormous potential and promises great things to come in the future.

Updated: 20/10/2017Posted: 20/10/2017

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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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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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CHRISTIAN MEAAS SVENDSEN ~ AVIN NAKAMA 010 (Barcode: 7090040250186) ~ NORWAY ~ Avant-Garge Pop Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is a solo project by Norwegian bassist / composer Christian Meaas SvendsenFind albums by this artist, which adds singer and songwriter to the list of his qualifications. The album presents seven songs (six with lyrics in Norwegian and one instrumental), all by Svendsen, arranged for an octet, which comprises of his musical friends, including members of his NakamaFind albums by this artist ensemble, which is his usual musical environment. Don´t be fooled by the "conventional" description above, as there is, as expected, nothing conventional about this album. The arrangements, which involve strings and brass (but no drums) are absolutely stunning intricate pieces of "friendly" Avant-Garde, which transport the concept of "songs" into a completely new dimension. Svendsen sings / hums / recites and manipulates his voice in many innovative ways, again transforming the concept of "singing" into previously unexplored territory. He plays acoustic guitar on this album and leaves the bass part to another musician. To be perfectly honest, any attempt to describe this music verbally is futile and the only way to get exposed to this music is of course by listening to it. In the world where almost everything created in music is derivative and follows patterns, such individuality and total lack of conventionality as present on this album are truly miraculous. Although this music eschews any precise musical classification, open-headed listeners, who like amalgamations and exciting cross-genre explorations, will find this music irresistible. Jazz, Classical, Pop and everything in between, this music really manages to convince that not everything is lost in human creativity. Hats off!

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

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AYUMI TANAKA ~ MEMENTO AMP 006 (Barcode: 662578830993) ~ JAPAN ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album as a leader by Japanese (resident in Norway) pianist / composer Ayumi TanakaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic piano trio format with bassist Christian Meaas SvendsenFind albums by this artist and drummer Per Oddvar JohansenFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, six of which were composed by Tanaka and one by Svendsen. The music is a wonderful example of open form / free / Avant-Garde Jazz and Improvised Music, which is remarkably gentle, welcoming and inviting. It evolves slowly, sparingly and discreetly, with silence being an integral part of the composition having a Zen like inspiration on the overall effect. The melodic themes are stated briefly almost immediately leaving the center stage for improvisations and interplay between the trio members. All three members of the trio emerge as remarkable instrumentalists, each of them in a different way. Tanaka plays passionate arpeggios, forceful chords and delicate single notes with the same sensitivity, minimalism and elegance, even in the most eventful flows of intensity. Svendsen and Johansen support her amicably and intimately all the way from start to finish, not only when they play but also when they leave her alone at the right moment to enable her to make her own statement from time to time. The symbiosis of the trio is of course one of its major advantages, leaving egos and personal ambitions out of the way. This kind of music can only work out when all the participants are completely and unconditionally involved. Even though the music is very open, that does not mean that it misses beautiful melodic, lyrical statements, sometimes right out in the open and at other times subtly in the background. The music definitely carries some Nordic Jazz references, especially when it moves very slowly and hesitantly, but then again it does have it own language and identity and balances the Scandinavian influx with Japanese influences. Overall listening to this album constitutes a highly aesthetic experience, which of course changes each time the music plays, depending on the listener´s mood and state of mind. It is one of those statements that have a life of their own and as such can be listened to repeatedly and being rediscovered anew each time. The music is beautifully recorded, with perfect peach and separation, which makes the listening experience even more perfect. The only drawback is the fact that the music lasts only slightly over half an hour, way shorter than one might expect these days. On the other hand perhaps this is just the right portion of this delight and more would have been superfluous? Regardless of what the answer to that question might be, this is a true little miniature piece of musical bliss! Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 02/06/2016

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