Record Reviews

SOREN GEMMER ~ THE LARK WHYPLAYJAZZ 028 (Barcode: 4250459990384) ~ DENMARK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the second album by Danish pianist / composer Soren GemmerFind albums by this artist, recorded in two quartet settings: one with trumpeter Mads la CourFind albums by this artist and the other with guitarist Per MollehojFind albums by this artist and with the rhythm section which consists of Finnish bassist Tapani ToivanenFind albums by this artist and drummer Andreas FrylandFind albums by this artist. Together they perform thirteen pieces, all composed by Gemmer. The music is an open form modern European Jazz, based on melodic themes but incorporating rhythmic irregularities, odd meters and group improvisation, which together create a wonderfully weird tonal experience. The decision to use condensed, relatively short pieces turns this album into an emotional rollercoaster, with themes, rhythms and splintered interplays somehow making a perfect musical sense. A few intimate piano solo and piano / trumpet duets are also present. The album works so well thanks to the exceptional level of playing by all the participants, who are the young Lions of Scandinavian Jazz, taking the idiom into the future without any inferiority complexes. The music enables everybody to contribute splendid solo spots, as well as superb ensemble playing, which requires careful listening and mutual respect. This music is certainly quite challenging but these musicians seem to have no problem to overcome the technical obstacles. The presence of la Cour is especially heartwarming here, as his wonderful trumpet tone and attack add an additional layer to this already great album. He is certainly one of the young European trumpet players, which are worth to be watched carefully, as they progress. Mollehoj gets the least exposure on this album, but his unique approach to the instrument is intriguing and I´m looking forward to hear more of his work. Toivanen has already quite a name on the young European scene and his bass lines are the epitome of good taste, modesty and elegance. Fryland stays mostly in the background, adding his rhythmic touches exactly where needed, but carefully holding back in order not to throw this delicate music off balance. As usual with the splendid WhyPlayJazzFind albums on this label label, this music demands a lot of involvement from the listener and even intellectual effort, but the listening experience, perhaps only after more than one tryout, turns out to be exceptionally rewarding. The sound quality of this album is super, which makes it easy for the listener to pick up every individual note. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 05/06/2016Posted: 05/06/2016

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METTE JUUL ~ CHANGE UNIVERSAL 060257796101 (Barcode: 060257796101) ~ DENMARK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the fourth album by Danish Jazz singer / guitarist / songwriter Mette JuulFind albums by this artist recorded with a team of excellent musicians: Swedish bassist Lars DanielssonFind albums by this artist and Danish keyboardist Heine HansenFind albums by this artist who play on most of the tracks and three guitarists playing on selected tracks: Swedish Ulf WakeniusFind albums by this artist (three tracks), Israeli Gilad HekselmanFind albums by this artist (two tracks) and Danish Per MollehojFind albums by this artist (one track). The album presents thirteen tracks, five of which are written or co-written by Juul and the rest are her interpretations of standards. The music is a collection of intimate trio, duo and solo performances, completely acoustic and minimalist, with the "more is less" attitude clearly in mind. The bass and piano trio sessions are kept in a classic vocal Jazz atmosphere, whereas the solo and duo tracks with the guitarist have a slightly Folksier ambience. The material is carefully selected to suit Juul´s vocal abilities, which allows her to be relaxed and feel herself for the entire duration of the album. As usual for a non-native English speaker the accent and pronunciation are evidently "foreign" (well Scandinavian obviously), but in this case it is rather charming than obtrusive. The vocal stylistics and mannerisms are somewhat similar to those of the great Karin Krog, which of course is meant as a compliment. The instrumental performances are of course perfect in every respect. Both the trios and the duos with the guitarists keep the focus on the vocalist accompanying her amicably and creating the appropriate ambience rather than being dominant. In the age when making music is usually associated with overloading the listener´s ears with a wall of synthetic noise, such modest and delicate approach is most welcome and commendable. Overall this is wonderful, subtle and delicate piece of music, which is full of great instrumental performances and heartfelt vocals, superb choice of songs and a straightforward, honest delivery, despite its sophistication and artistry. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 19/09/2019Posted: 19/09/2019

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