Record Reviews

OLGA KONKOVA / JENS THORESEN ~ DECEMBER SONGS LOSEN 157 (Barcode: 7090025831577) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by the Norwegian duo comprising of pianist Olga KonkovaFind albums by this artist and guitarist Jens ThoresenFind albums by this artist. As the title suggest they perform a set of eleven Christmas songs, some very well known and others less so. I usually approach Christmas albums with extreme caution, if at all, as the sad reality is that most of them are extreme kitsch, to say the least. However, this time I decided to keep an open mind (just kidding, I always keep an open mind) and I´m happy to say that I don´t regret it. Konkova and Thoresen are both experienced and highly sensitive musicians, as evident from their previous recordings, and their treatment of this "traditional" material is beautifully innovative and highly unusual, which of course changes the perspective by which this album must be looked upon. A wonderful mixture of tradition and modernism is the key element, superbly performed by the duo and creating a deeply moving sound experience. As every great duo performance, the telepathic conversations / communications between the two musicians are staggering, and sound-wise they sound like a one multi-voiced instrument. The acoustic sound of the piano and the electric sound of the guitar bled together perfectly thanks to the amazing recording quality which this album offers. The music was recorded by Thoresen in his own studio and the result is truly spectacular. The arrangements of the music takes it very far away from the source, often transforming it completely, making them unrecognizable, at least to the less experienced listener. Nevertheless even in their new embodiment the music manages to preserve the spirit of the original tunes, which again is pretty extraordinary. I don´t know if this is as much a compliment as it is intended, but this album sounds nothing like any other Christmas album I have ever heard, and in many respects is only spiritually / aesthetically connected to the Christmas spirit, rather than explicitly so. As such, it is a fully valid piece of music that stands on its own right. There is so much beauty, elegance and inner tranquility in this music, that it is perfectly suitable for every human spiritual Holiday, regardless of the specific religious context. Achieving such universal appeal can only be done by wholeheartedly dedicated musicians, as those present on this album. Overall this is a gem of an album, a piece of condensed spiritual experience, which transcends time and location and acts directly on the human heart.

Updated: 19/11/2016Posted: 19/11/2016

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OLGA KONKOVA / JENS THORESEN ~ OLD SONGS LOSEN 181 (Barcode: 7090025831812) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the second album by the fabulous Norwegian duo comprising of pianist Olga KonkovaFind albums by this artist and guitarist Jens ThoresenFind albums by this artist. Their debut album "December SongsFind albums with this title" presented their unique interpretations of Christmas songs and this time, as the title suggests, they present ten standards, re-arranged and adapted to the duo environment. It takes a lot of courage to play standards these days; after all one might think that everything conceivable was already done in that particular area of the Jazz idiom. Therefore, in most cases, when standards are performed by today´s musicians, especially those originating in the US, the highest symbol of awareness one might expect from the listener is a colossal yawn. However, listening to this music the attentive listener is swiped away into another dimension, where the music is a collection of intelligent and elegant hints, which probe the brain to find the familiar melodies and connect the dots. As all great duo albums, this music is all about the individualism and the dualism co-existing in perfect harmony and balance. Years of experience and mutual respect are helpful of course, but in the case of these two musicians it seems more like a symbiotic relationship and telepathic communication. Minimalistic, elegant and yet wonderfully expressive, this music is a balsam to our hearts, broken by the harsh realities of the world we live in. Perhaps this is a form of Western Nirvana? I recommend to all true Jazz connoisseurs to get a copy of this album and give it a close listen – you´ll never regret it and probably also never forget it. Thank you Olga and Jens for this superb gift of European haute culture and obvious Love of the Art of music! And thank you Odd GjelsnesFind albums by this artist for keeping the wonderful LosenFind albums on this label Records alive! Without you people life would be much more difficult…

Updated: 01/10/2017Posted: 01/10/2017

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OLGA KONKOVA TRIO ~ THE GOLDILOCKS ZONE LOSEN 134 (Barcode: 7090025831348) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the fifth album by the piano trio led by Norwegian (born in Russia) pianist / composer Olga KonkovaFind albums by this artist, which also includes her husband bassist Per MathisenFind albums by this artist and British drummer Gary HusbandFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original compositions, ten of which were composed by Konkova and one is co-credited to all the trio members and is largely improvised.. Six of the compositions are parts of a suite, which name gave the album its title. From the very first notes on this album it´s pretty obvious that Konkova and her team mean "serious business" and have their very individual way to state it. The classic piano trio format, one of Jazz most archetypal settings, is perhaps the ideal environment to express the intricacies of the Jazz idiom, being just the right size on one hand, and not big enough to overcomplicate matters on the other. However, decades of piano trio´s history have shown a remarkable slow progress in the format, with many, often some of the absolutely best piano trios, sounding very alike, even when separated by decades from each other. Of course there are exceptions, but those are, as usual, an affirmation of the rule. Therefore this trio is a very pleasant surprise exactly due to the fact that it is simply different from most others. The difference is plainly in sight (or rather hearing) on many layers; first acoustically as the presence of an electric bass, which is able to create a dissimilar ambience to its acoustic counterpart, the presence of the Fender Rhodes behind the acoustic piano and the completely unique approach and understanding of the role of the drummer in a piano trio, all of which are present here, and second the melodic layer, which is also very inimitable, far away from conventional "song" oriented compositions, which in this specific case are like "movements", being of a much broader melodic and harmonic scope. These characteristics might cause some consternation at first to an unprepared listener, but shortly after the dust settles the intrinsic beauty of this music become apparent. Of course the individual contributions of the trio members are, as expected, wonderful. Konkova has a very individual touch and the piano notes she produces are very precisely and clearly stated, in contrast to many pianists who love the overly delicate touch, which produces a mushy sound. She is a sort of minimalist, stating exactly what she considers as absolutely essential and lets the listener´s mind to connect the dots. Mathisen is simply marvelous with his understanding and empathy towards the piano parts, playing along supporting the melody lines and stretching them when appropriate. His sensitivity and virtuosity are simply exceptional. Husband, who is sadly often underappreciated or misunderstood, plays perfectly here, also displaying brilliant sensitivity and smoothly moving between delicate rhythmic parts to a barrage of sound, whenever appropriate. Overall this is not only a very beautiful album, but at the same time a very interesting and unusual one, presenting a fresh approach to Jazz in general and the piano trio format in particular. Well done Lady and Gentlemen - absolutely wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 04/03/2016Posted: 04/03/2016

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JORGEN KROGER MATHISEN ~ COLLETT COLLECTIVE SMEIK 211 (Barcode: 612608050471) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by Norwegian Jazz violinist / composer Jorgen Kroger MathisenFind albums by this artist recorded with a core ensemble comprising of guitarists Martin NodelandFind albums by this artist and Arne Martin NyboFind albums by this artist, well-known pianist Olga KonkovaFind albums by this artist, bassist Alexander HoholmFind albums by this artist and drummers Lars TaklaFind albums by this artist and Raymond LavikFind albums by this artist as well as a large group of supporting musicians, with appear on selected tracks, which includes the exceptional vocalist Karoline WallaceFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all by the leader (assumedly, as nothing is stated on the album’s artwork about it, or even the fact that he plays the violin. The recording date is also missing, the track counter insists on seven tracks and the album is a CD-R – the SmeikFind albums on this label record label is just starting, hopefully learning on the fly). The music moves between highly melodic mainstream Jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion and flirts with Prog and Folklore. The melodies are very lyrical and somewhat melancholic, but the music flows coherently and offers a good variety of moods and a pleasant listening experience. The instrumental performances are all excellent, with splendid harmonic accompaniment by Konkova and fiery guitar work, which pulls the music towards Fusion. The leader plays acoustic violin, which adds a nice romantic touch to the proceedings and round up the overall sound. Overall, this album reflects the strength of the young Norwegian Jazz scene, which is flourishing in the last decade and these well-educated and highly talented musicians will be the future leaders of the pack. The album offers excellent music and great performances, and is definitely worth checking out!

Updated: 05/09/2021Posted: 05/09/2021

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FREDERIK VILLMOW ~ MOMENTUM LOSEN 278 (Barcode: 7090025832789) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is the third album by German (resident in Norway) drummer / composer Frederik VillmowFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting, with Norwegian musicians: pianist Olga KonkovaFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Gisle JohansenFind albums by this artist and Erlend Vangen KongtorpFind albums by this artist and bassist Julian HauglandFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, all of which are original compositions by the leader and the participating musicians. Two tracks are solo drums improvisations, one is a duo (drums / saxophone) improvisation and another two are trio (drums / piano / saxophone) improvisations, which leaves four fully composed ensemble pieces, including the title track, which are naturally the longest tracks on the album. The music is excellent modern Jazz, melody based to some extent but with a lot of breathing space and freedom, which allows the participants to improvise extensively. The music flows coherently from one track to the next, offering an interesting aural journey, spiced with excellent soloing. As it often happens with drummers’ albums, the level of composition is highly surprising, and this album follows the pattern. Although Villmow is an excellent drummer by all standards, his music goes far beyond just drumming skills, presenting a refined ensemble sound and complex flow of ideas. He is definitely in the center of the performances throughout, but his drumming is certainly not just a showoff of his abilities, but the driving force of the ensemble. The album offers a nice balance between the composed pieces and the solo / duo / trio improvisations, which is easier for the listener to follow than albums dedicated completely to Improvised Music, which can be overbearing. Overall, this is an excellent modern Jazz album, with great compositions and brilliant performances, full of excitement and intelligent exchange of ideas. It offers the European approach to Jazz at its best, and is not actually that much Nordic Jazz oriented, despite its origin. Most warmly recommended!

Updated: 13/05/2023Posted: 13/05/2023

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