Record Reviews

ARILD ANDERSEN ~ GREEN IN BLUE ECM 2143/45 (Barcode: 602527334486) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz Recorded: 1975 - 1978 Released: 2010 This wonderful Box Set contains the three early albums by Norwegian bassist / composer Arild AndersenFind albums by this artist with his all Scandinavian quartet released on the ECMFind albums on this label label, which are "Clouds In My HeadFind albums with this title" (ECM 1059) recorded in 1975, "ShimriFind albums with this title" (ECM 1082) recorded in 1976 and "Green Shading Into BlueFind albums with this title" (ECM 1127) recorded in 1978. The quartet comprised of Andersen with Norwegian saxophonist Knut RiisnaesFind albums by this artist (on the first album) / Finnish saxophonist Juhani AaltonenFind albums by this artist (on the other two albums), Norwegian pianist Jon BalkeFind albums by this artist (on the first album) / Swedish pianist Lars JanssonFind albums by this artist (on the other two albums) and Norwegian drummer Pal ThowsenFind albums by this artist. Andersen, who composed most of the music (with a few compositions by Jansson) presented here, is one of the greatest representatives of Scandinavian Jazz, with a sublime sense of melody and a virtuosic ability on his instrument. The music is absolutely brilliant from start to finish and remains completely untouched by time. These are among the best recordings by Juhani Aaltonen as well. In retrospect this is some of the most impressive European Jazz ever recorded and an everlasting musical adventure. A must to any serious listener! Side Note: These three albums were not reissued on CD individually, so this is the only way to obtain them in CD form.

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

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KNUT RIISNAES ~ 2ND THOUGHTS LOSEN 146 (Barcode: 7090025831461) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 - 2016 Released: 2016 This is an album by veteran Norwegian saxophonist Knut RiisnaesFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic quartet setting with pianist Anders AarumFind albums by this artist, bassist Jens FossumFind albums by this artist and drummer Tom OlstadFind albums by this artist. Together they perform eight compositions, three of which are originals by Aarum, one is an original by Riisnaes, one is a composition by the Norwegian pianist Dag ArnesenFind albums by this artist and three are standards. Six of the tracks are studio recordings and two are live recordings. The music is all well within the melodic mainstream Jazz idiom, but the original compositions are all first-rate and far from trivial, which results in the album being a wonderful piece of classic conventional Jazz, splendidly executed by the musicians involved. Riisnaes (born 1945), who has been present on the local scene since the 1960s and who participated in numerous recording sessions, released only very few albums as a leader and this album is an important addition to his recorded legacy. His central role as one of the Godfathers of Norwegian Jazz is of course duly noted and this album proves that he still hasn´t lost his chops and can swing and improvise very impressively, maintaining his lovely tone. The accompanying musicians are representatives of the younger Norwegian Jazz generations, all being well educated and skilled, like all the European Jazz musicians today. Aarum emerges not only as a very skillful pianist (he participated in countless recordings already) but also as a gifted composer, with his tunes being all as good as the well known standards. The rhythm section is also first rate and support s the leader and the pianist amicably and with obvious expertise. Although this album does not break any new ground, it proves that European Jazz musicians can perform Bebop oriented material at least as skillfully as the musicians across the pond, usually doing it much more elegantly and inventively. For connoisseurs of classic Jazz, who are not familiar with the Norwegian scene, this album is a beautiful introduction to what the Norwegians are capable of in that particular area. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 28/01/2017Posted: 28/01/2017

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