Record Reviews

HENRIK WALSDORFF / ADAM PULTZ MELBYE / KASPER TOM CHRISTIANSEN ~ GRON BAREFOOT 022 (Barcode: 5707471027547) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 This is the debut album by the trio consisting of veteran German saxophonist Henrik WalsdorffFind albums by this artist and a young Danish rhythm section: bassist Adam Pultz MelbyeFind albums by this artist and drummer Kasper Tom ChristiansenFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded live at the Dexter club in Odense, Denmark during the trio´s tour. It is an unedited document of the performance and presents five compositions / improvisations, all credited to all three trio members. All three players are experienced performers in the Free Jazz / Improvised Music field, which is very obvious from the very first moment of the album. The generation gap, which can be a problem under similar circumstances, works out wonderfully here, as Walsdorff carries over post Bee Bop sonorities and melodic motifs, while his young partners contribute their youthful energies and unconventional rhythmic patterns, creating together quite a spectacular effect. In spite its Avant Garde character, this music should be more easily accessible to wider Jazz audiences than similar such efforts. The melodic character of the saxophone improvisations enables the listener to fill the missing notes and enjoy the ride. These are obviously kindred spirits making music together, which is always a source of aesthetic and intellectual satisfaction. Although no spectacular new ground is being broken here, this is solid and ambitious improvised music, performed with passion, emotion and affinity. It is worth mentioning that all three musicians take part in many different projects in parallel, as do all three players involved in this project. The days of steady job in one band are over for the Jazz musicians, and the hectic vicious circle of survival takes over. Luckily for us more fascinating music is being created in the process, like the music on this album, but the life of a Jazz musician is becoming ever more complex.

Updated: 17/12/2018Posted:

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KASPER TOM 5 ~ OST BINGO SKRUER BAREFOOT 031 (Barcode: 5707471031551) ~ DENMARK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by the European Jazz quintet Kasper Tom 5Find albums by this artist, led by Danish drummer / composer Kasper Tom ChristiansenFind albums by this artist, with German clarinetist Rudi MahallFind albums by this artist, Polish trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, Swedish trombonist Petter HangselFind albums by this artist and Danish bassist Jens Mikkel MadsenFind albums by this artist. Christiansen and Dabrowski are also members of the excellent Hunger PangsFind albums by this artist trio. The album presents ten original compositions, six of which were composed by the leader and the remaining four are credited to the entire quintet. The quintet is constantly walking on a tight rope between "usual" and "unusual", which is of course great fun. Seemingly a standard quintet and yet the brass section features a completely nonstandard bass clarinet / trumpet / trombone front line, which has a completely different sonority from a regular saxophone dominated ensemble. Seemingly playing melodies, yet there is actually more freedom and free improvisation than one might expect or even be able to hear upon the initial encounter. This stuff requires some serious listening in order to be properly digested, which is usually the case with unusual music. With all the freedom and group improvisation involved, this music is surprisingly "easy" on the ear, mainly because it is completely non aggressive, even in the most passionate moments. The flow of the music is all natural, following a melodic theme or a harmonic sequence, often even introducing several complex intertwined leads, but always executed with grace and obvious mutual respect and understanding between the quintet members. The whole proceedings are a rare example of group members that actually complete each other rather than compete between each other. There is no obvious leader; nobody gets more solo space than anybody else, in short a wonderful unity is achieved herein. Of course the album is also a superb display of individual skills and talents, but those can be truly appreciated only with repeated listening sessions, allowing the listener to concentrate on a specific instrumentalist rather than listen to the entire ensemble. One way or another, this album is full of wonderful moments, which are simply waiting there to be discovered. With young European Jazz musicians like these one can look forward to the future with at least some optimism. The renaissance of ambitious music in Europe is truly heartwarming, against all odds and like an oasis in the desert of mediocrity that modern life pushes down our throats. Well done indeed!

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KASPER TOM / JACOB ANDERSKOV ~ CHROMA BAREFOOT 037 (Barcode: 5707471036099) ~ DENMARK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is an album by a duo of Danish Jazz musicians: drummer / composer Kasper Tom ChristiansenFind albums by this artist and pianist / composer Jacob AnderskovFind albums by this artist, both representatives of the new wave of Danish Jazz music, which has been experiencing a significant resurgence since the turn of the Millennium. Anderskov, who is commonly recognized as one of the leaders of the local Danish scene, is a prolific performer, composer and recording artists with a sizeable legacy of over twenty releases as a leader since his debut in 2001 and many more as a sideman. He won the Danish Jazz Composer of the Year award in 2013 and is definitely an Artist worth following. Christiansen, who started to record in 2007, participated in more than ten releases since, with a steady progress towards excellence. This album includes eight original compositions, seven of which are by Christiansen, and the opening track is a piece credited to both participants. The fact that Anderskov takes part in this album almost exclusively as a pianist is a tremendous vote of confidence in Christiansen´s talent as a composer. But more importantly, for anybody listening to this music, it becomes pretty obvious that Christiansen is a brilliant music weaver. His intrinsic melancholy, lyricism and feel for freedom of expression are his pillars, and then it´s up to the performers to translate these principles into actual soundscapes. Anderskov was an ideal choice to turn this music into what it finally becomes: a dreamy soundtrack of an imaginary voyage through space and time, delicate and fragile, illusive and mystical. The gentle piano strokes and the muffled drum parts work hand in hand towards a common goal of caressing the listener´s soul via his ears. This music can be absorbed on many different levels, from highly cerebral to completely emotional, all with an equally satisfactory aesthetic effect. This is a very intimate piece of music, humble in a way, somewhat minimalistic, and yet it contains more music and artistic expression that most other, much more flamboyant recordings. For me this is one of the most profound pieces of music I´ve had the pleasure to hear this year. As usual in such occasions, I simply raise my imaginary hat, thanking the Artists for sharing.

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OCEAN FANFARE ~ IMAGINE SOUND IMAGINE SILENCE BAREFOOT 040 (Barcode: 5707471039175) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by the International Jazz Quartet Ocean FanfareFind albums by this artist, which consists of Polish trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, Danish saxophonist Sven Dam MeinildFind albums by this artist, Danish bassist Richard AnderssonFind albums by this artist and American drummer Tyshawn SoreyFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, six of which were composed by Dabrowski and three by Meinild. The quartet plays modern Jazz, which is clearly based on the tradition but explores modern approach to both the melodic / harmonic contents and the rhythmic timekeeping. The trumpet and saxophone are much tighter together here than on most other quartet recordings of this type, playing many unisono parts together, which sound simply stunning. Dabrowski, who has a long series of albums under his arm already, is of course brilliant throughout, but Meinild keeps closely at his toes, displaying virtuosic control of his instrument and excellent improvisation quality. As it often happens in today´s modern Jazz, it is the bass player who keeps the time rather than the drummer, who is left to explore various time measures and play around the rhythms. This album displays new facets of Dabrowski´s phenomenal trumpet technique and bravado, which keep expanding from album to album, constantly reaching new artistic peaks. He emerges steadfastly as one of the top young trumpeters in Europe if not worldwide. This combined with his phenomenal compositional qualities makes him superstar material, which hopefully won´t be wasted. The level of interplay demonstrated on this album is also worthy of the listener´s attention, as such telepathic encounters are few and far between. There is a multilayered interplay present here, first between the two horn players, then between the rhythm section and finally between all four musicians listening to each other attentively. There is also the wonderful balance between the freedom of expression and the creative discipline, which keeps everybody on track. Overall this is another excellent album, which unites Dabrowski with superb partners, creating a quartet of the highest quality which plays beautifully crafted music. What else can we ask for?

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TOMASZ DABROWSKI / FREE4ARTS ~ SIX MONTHS AND TEN DROPS BAREFOOT 041 (Barcode: 5707471040270) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 Polish (resident in Denmark) Jazz trumpeter / composer / bandleader Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist is one of the leading upcoming European musicians and his prolific, almost feverish output manages to astound his fans time after time. This album follows suit several albums already released this year and as always maintains incredible quality. This time Dabrowski leads a quartet, which besides him includes three leading young Danish Jazz musicians: baritone saxophonist Sven Dam MeinildFind albums by this artist, pianist Jacob AnderskovFind albums by this artist and drummer Kasper Tom ChristiansenFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Dabrowski. This music is more free oriented than Dabrowski´s explorations so far, which seems to be a continuing development in his work. It is therefore further away from mainstream Jazz and explores other areas, like contemporary Chamber music and improvised Avant-Garde, although based on written themes. The entire scheme of using the quartet is also very unusual, as there is no conventional "soloists vs. rhythm section" setting at all, only an ensemble performance by the entire quartet as one body. The exclusion of the bass is also very significant, where some of the typical bass parts are taken over by the baritone sax and others by the percussion. This music is only as good as the level of cooperation achieved by the quartet members and therefore the interplay is its central ingredient. Luckily for Dabrowski these three musicians belong to the same "school of thought" like himself, enabling the quartet to become a unity. There is no doubt that this music points towards a new epoch of Jazz, which becomes an amalgam of all forms of improvised music, those previously experienced and those still undiscovered. Dabrowski and his generation are brave pioneers of these uncharted territories and it´s a great experience to bear witness while this music keeps unfolding in real time in Copenhagen, Warsaw, Berlin and other parts of Europe. This is quite difficult music for most people, no doubt about it, but it is also deeply rewarding and intellectually challenging. It is spearheaded by a relatively tiny group of musicians and has a limited audience. Nevertheless it encompasses perhaps some of the most important musical developments happening in a world which is rapidly turning away from challenge and cultural progress, and therefore becomes even more significant. It is in these young people that we entrust our Cultural feature.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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KASPER TOM 5 ~ I DO ADMIRE THINGS THAT ARE ONLY WHAT THEY ARE BAREFOOT 046 (Barcode: 5707471042632) ~ DENMARK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the second album by the exceptional European Jazz quintet Kasper Tom 5Find albums by this artist led by Danish drummer / composer Kasper Tom ChristiansenFind albums by this artist, which also includes German clarinetist Rudi MahallFind albums by this artist, Polish trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, Swedish trombonist Petter HangselFind albums by this artist and Danish bassist Jens Mikkel MadsenFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded live and presents seven original compositions, all by Christiansen. In the last decade or so Kasper Tom Christiansen emerges as one of the most talented and thankfully prolific modern European Jazz musicians and his many projects and recordings amount to a most impressive legacy already at this early stage of his career. The ensembles in which he takes part are all wonderful examples of the borderless artistic Europe, which seems to flourish infinitely better that the politically torn apart Europe. This quintet presents the perfect balance between composed and improvised music, keeping the form and structure of "conventional" composed music, but stretching way beyond the basic layout and explodes with imagination and musical freedom. Christiansen collected in this quintet an exceptional group of highly talented musicians, and their collective abilities, emotions and of course technical skills as players and improvises add up to a total that is much bigger than just the sum of the components. The mutual respect and the level of communication, which is especially apparent on this live recording, are simply phenomenal. It is also important to note Christiansen the composer, in addition to his tasks as bandleader and drummer. His compositions are the solid basis upon all the improvised music is firmly based. His quirky, beautiful and fascinating little melodies are always superbly crafted, both melodically and harmonically. In fact they are perhaps in some respect the most important facet of Christiansen´s multitalented persona. For fans of well organized Free Jazz (no, this is not an oxymoron) and improvised music this album is simply a fulfillment of a perfect dream. Not a dull moment, from start to finish, countless examples of superb individual and collective skills and above all an atmosphere of joy as a result of playing together. As usual in his case, this is one more triumphant achievement for Christiansen and the Kasper Tom 5, which should not be missed!

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TOMASZ DABROWSKI ~ S-O-L-O: 30TH BIRTHDAY / 30 CONCERTS/ 30 CITIES BAREFOOT 049 (Barcode: 5707471044834) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 As the title suggests this is a solo trumpet album by Polish Jazz trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, which celebrates his 30th Birthday and a world tour which spanned thirty cities in twelve countries over a period of six months. The music, recorded in a Copenhagen church, consists of ten original compositions, all by Dabrowski, entitles simply Part I to Part X. Although only thirty years old, Dabrowski de facto dominates the Polish Jazz scene (and the Danish Jazz scene as well, since he lives in Denmark) as one of the top trumpet players in Europe, as documented by his prolific recording activity. Stylistically Dabrowski continues the tradition of Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, who forty years earlier was also in his early thirties and emerged as a dominating figure on the European Jazz scene. Dabrowski shares several mannerisms, which characterize Stanko´s stylistic approach, but he managed very early on to establish his own language and modernize his technique, which sets him clearly apart from Stanko´s role model. Solo albums are of course the most difficult pieces of Art to defend their validity and artistic value. The nakedness of a single instrument and the obvious limitations which such performance creates are often insurmountable, balanced only by the limitless freedom they offer. Especially so in the case of a solo trumpet performance, which due to the lack of harmonic support makes the task of improvisation even more difficult. Listening to this album blows all the theories apart, since Dabrowski obviously is no way limited by these circumstances, au contraire he proves that the difficulties simply stimulate him to try harder and go further. I have always been an admirer of people, who dare, and this album, above all proves that daring and challenging what we know is the key to create incredible pieces of art and push the envelopes of our aesthetics even further into new realms of creativity. Such eye-openers (or ear-openers in this case) happen only really rarely, but when they do they have a tremendous impact on our perception of music. It is very difficult to estimate how much of this creative eruption is "premeditated" (i.e. planned ahead and rationally constructed) and how much is simply inspired by "higher powers" of talent and genius. Regardless of what the answer might be, this is an extraordinary piece of music, which has very few equals. There is no doubt that this is one of the most important trumpet albums recorded in the last few years, something that belongs to the Pantheon of Jazz trumpet as an incredible example of human ingenuity and limitless power of expression. Perhaps it is good that albums like that one are so rare and far between; this makes their impact even more impressive and lets us keep things in the right perspective. Absolutely essential!

Updated: 12/05/2016Posted: 12/05/2016

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KASPER TOM / RUDI MAHALL ~ ONE MAN`S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN`S TREASURE BAREFOOT 050 (Barcode: 5707471045640) ~ DENMARK ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is an album by the duo comprising of Danish drummer / composer Kasper Tom ChristiansenFind albums by this artist and German clarinetist / composer Rudi MahallFind albums by this artist, who are both members of the Kasper Tom 5Find albums by this artist quintet. Together they perform nine original pieces, all co-composed by Christiansen and Mahall. The music is by far the most Avant-Garde excursion by Christiansen, who recorded prolifically in the last few years. Most of his albums as leader or sideman have been quite Free oriented, but this one seems to be completely instantaneously created Improvised Music, which abandons all forms of conventional Jazz completely. The great charm of Christiansen´s music was always the ability to play ambitious and innovative music and at the same time to maintain accessibility to his music, which is not present, for the first time, on this album. Improvised music for the sake of being improvised is almost never able to reach many listeners beyond the actual performers, and this album proves it. Although both Christiansen and Mahall are very gifted and promising young musicians, this album is simply "a bridge too far", crossing into the metaphysical sphere of concentration upon oneself and leaving the rest of the world behind. After following Christiansen for a few years and enjoying his development, I am not discouraged at all by this album. It simply is another experiment on his path towards discovering his musical personality. Perhaps a bit self indulging and detached, but this album still shows great musicality and ability to communicate with his partner. In short this is extreme Avant-Garde Improvised Music, for the hardcore fans of the genre only, and little appeal to more or less conventional listeners.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 29/05/2016

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MORTEN PEDERSEN ~ SAMMENSURIUM BAREFOOT 051 (Barcode: 5707471049556) ~ DENMARK ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Danish pianist / composer Morten PedersenFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quintet which also includes Polish trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, Italian saxophonist / clarinetist Francesco BigoniFind albums by this artist, Swedish bassist Johannes NastesjoFind albums by this artist and Norwegian drummer Hakon BerreFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Pedersen. The music is a superb example of modern European Jazz, which is still based on composed themes but the improvisations venture often into Free Jazz. The compositions are very solid and the brief unisono introductions played by the saxophone and trumpet expand later into group improvisations. The music is interesting and diverse enough to keep the listener interested throughout. The movement out of the melodic theme and back again, several times during the same piece, is also fascinating. The overall level of composition is simply stunning and the characteristic lyricism and melancholy add a magical atmosphere, which is thrilling. The individual performances are all top notch, with the participants creating ad-lib duets (trumpet / saxophone) and trios (trumpet / saxophone / piano) within the quintet framework, which emphasizes the level of cooperation and mutual respect between the musicians. The concept which allows the rhythm section not to be present at all times is very refreshing and in this case also extremely effective aesthetically. Not that the rhythm section is not performing well, God forbid, since it definitely is, but the minimalism of the duo / trio is an Art form in itself. Dabrowski is brilliant, as usual, with the incredible kaleidoscope of sounds he is able to produce on his trumpet. Bigoni sounds equally proficient on the saxophone and on the clarinet, the latter being my personal favorite. Pederson plays a round, deeply melodic piano parts, which in spite of their free form sound still very harmonious. The rhythm section, as already mentioned above, does a great job, but is present only partially, which is highly unusual and makes this album so unique. This album is a classic example of contemporary European Jazz scene, where multinational ensembles are omnipresent and national borders are completely irrelevant any more. These young musicians are spiritually united by the European aesthetics and common cultural background, which goes back centuries. The Copenhagen scene is one of the most fruitful and fascinating Jazz centers at the moment, where young musician from all over Europe gather to study and create music together. The album was released on the wonderful Copenhagen based Barefoot Records label, which is a musicians´ cooperative creating an independent platform for them to release their own music, and which in the last decade managed to put out some of the most significant contemporary Jazz albums. This is a stunning debut effort and a true treasure chest of contemporary European Jazz, which is a beacon of what Europe, has to offer! Chapeau!

Updated: 18/09/2017Posted: 18/09/2017

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LIVING THINGS ~ UPWIND CIRCLES BAREFOOT 052 (Barcode: 5707471046210) ~ DENMARK ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by young European Jazz ensemble Living ThingsFind albums by this artist, which comprises of Danish saxophonist / composer Sven Dam MeinildFind albums by this artist, Polish trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, French pianist / vibraphonist Paul WacrenierFind albums by this artist and a Dutch rhythm section: bassist Casper Nyvang RaskFind albums by this artist and drummer Rune LohseFind albums by this artist. All five musicians are also credited for playing the flute. The album presents fourteen original compositions, nine composed by Meinild and five by Wacrenier. The music is based on composed themes, which serve as basis for individual and collective improvisations. It is very open and unconstrained, obviously geared towards improvisation and individuality, like all the albums released by the Copenhagen based BarefootFind albums on this label Records collective, owned by the musicians who record on the label and which is home to some of the most fascinating young European Jazz and Improvised Music. Traces of many diverse musical influences can be found in this music, from contemporary Classical to World Music and Folklore, via the Jazz tradition, which is treated here very open-mindedly. There are also many superb individual statements by all the musicians involved. Dabrowski, as usual, creates many heart-wrenching trumpet solos, which repeatedly give evidence to the fact that he is one of the leading European trumpet players today. But to be fair also Meinild and Wacrenier contribute many enchanted vistas on their respective instruments, and the rhythm section, which plays anything but rhythm of course, glues the music together. There young European lions are so creative and so productive / prolific, that it becomes almost impossible to follow the avalanche of releases produced by them across the continent. Jazz / Improvised Music is experiencing an incredible Renaissance, which creates an unprecedented surge of new music, new talents and new musical horizons, of which this music is a commendable representative. Well done!

Updated: 04/11/2016Posted: 04/11/2016

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OCEAN FANFARE ~ FIRST NATURE BAREFOOT 060 (Barcode: 5706274010053) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the second album by the international Jazz quartet Ocean FanfareFind albums by this artist that comprises of Polish trumpeter / composer Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and three Danish Jazz musicians: saxophonist / composer Sven Dam MeinildFind albums by this artist, bassist Richard AnderssonFind albums by this artist and drummer Peter BruunFind albums by this artist. It presents nine original compositions, five by Dabrowski and four by Meinild. The music continues from where the debut album left off, investigating further explorations of the tight conversations between the quartet members, but moving into even more open musical space and towards Avant-Garde / Free Jazz idiom. There is little of straightforward melodic contents and far more improvisation, although the quartet manages to keep the music coherent enough to avoiding losing the listener in the process. As a result this album is certainly more difficult and less communicative with the listeners who are not hardened adventurous music connoisseurs, which of course limits the audience for which this music might prove enjoyable. Having said that, it must be emphasized that Dabrowski and his cohorts play some fascinating notes together and manage to create tension and continuity, which is superbly executed from start to finish. This music does not allow much space for individual statements, as it is based on close cooperation and constant group improvisation, but from time to time both Dabrowski and Meinild manage to squeeze in breathtaking soli, which of course are of hair-raising quality. The rhythm section also performs brilliantly throughout the album, being at all times on equal level with the two soloists. Ambitious music of this sort often impairs on the ability of individual performers to dazzle, but the ensemble as a whole gains the full creational abilities of its members. Overall this is a superb modern Jazz with Avant-Garde tendencies, which offers splendid instrumental performances and exemplary ensemble playing, which this kind of music thrives on. Dabrowski, as usual, delivers some trumpet magic that fully justifies his position as one of the leading European trumpeters, which by now is universally accepted. This is not for everybody, but listeners who enjoy ambitious and highly aesthetic as well as challenging music should enjoy this album in full. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 31/05/2019Posted: 31/05/2019

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HALYM KIM / BIJUL ~ MY ILLUSION OF KOREA BAREFOOT 070 (Barcode: 5706274011104) ~ GERMANY ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2019 Released: 2021 This is an album by German (of Korean origin resident in Copenhagen) Jazz-drummer Halym KimFind albums by this artist and his ensemble BijulFind albums by this artist, which also includes Danish saxophonist Nana Pi Aabo LarsenFind albums by this artist, Swiss bass clarinetist Eloi CalameFind albums by this artist, Norwegian trumpeter Erik Kimestad PedersenFind albums by this artist and Polish pianist Grzegorz TarwidFind albums by this artist. The album presents four tracks, all composed by Kim. The album’s duration is below half an hour, which makes it rater an EP than a full album. The music is typical Free Jazz / Improvised Music outing, based on sketchy compositions barely recognizable as far as melody is concerned, and personally I was also unable to recognized any Korean Music references, as alluded by the album’s title and the PR material attached to the album, which was released by the adventurous Danish BarefootFind albums on this label label, home to many similar projects, obviously flourishing in Copenhagen, one of the epicenters of young European Jazz / Improvised Music. The album offers a plethora of excellent statements by the participants, most impressive of those being (not surprisingly) by Tarwid, who is able to create his own microcosm whenever he touches the keyboards. But all the rest of the musicians, including the leader, are also very expressive and creative. The music, however, sounds sadly really dated, like something that might have been recorded in the 1960s, when Improvised Music and Free Jazz exploded into the consciousness. This reflects the paradox of Avant-Garde / Improvised Music, which although completely innovative and revolutionary at the time, simply almost entirely (with very few exceptions) froze in time, adding virtually nothing new to the genre in the last five decades. Overall, for lovers of Improvised Music, this album is as good as any of the many recordings currently released within that genre, but the music is unable to penetrate beyond a very narrow niche that it occupies. Personally I enjoyed the music while it lasted, but I’ll probably never return to listen to it again. Still it is definitely worth exploring and as far as Tarwid is concerned, it is a valuable addition to his already quite impressive recorded legacy.

Updated: 01/07/2021Posted: 01/07/2021

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MEINILD / ANDERSKOV / TOM ~ SPECTRAL ENTANGLEMENTS BAREFOOT 081 ~ DENMARK ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is the debut album by the Danish Jazz trio comprising of saxophonist / clarinetist / flautist Sven Dam MeinildFind albums by this artist, pianist Jacob AnderskovFind albums by this artist and drummer Kasper Tom ChristiansenFind albums by this artist. The album presents five tracks, all original compositions co-credited to all three members of the trio. Despite their relatively young age, all these musicians have already quite extensive experience playing and recording together, but not as a trio. Christiansen has been active on the European scene since 2006 and recorded more than two dozen albums as a leader and sideman, with various European musicians, mostly from Poland and Germany, and is certainly one of my favorite drummers / composers on the young European scene. The music is a wonderful example of contemporary European Improvised Music / Free Jazz at its absolutely best. Using, albeit with great care, electronics and sound manipulation, the music remains coherent and focused, despite the feeling of abstract and freedom prevailing for the duration. Although spontaneously improvised, the melodic / harmonic “backbone” remains, as they define it, “abstract compositional”, and the emotional restrain serves the desired effect perfectly. There is a lot of space, silence, minimalism and understatement present in this music, creating a delicate fabric, which leaves enough distance between the notes to stimulate the listener’s brain to fill the blanks at will, which makes him a partner in the creative process. This is definitely a superb example of the “less is more” approach, which I am always a great fan of. Overall, this is an amazing piece of music, which although perhaps somewhat demanding, is full of European aesthetics, cleverness and brilliant inventiveness. I find it uplifting and satisfying, and as such recommend it wholeheartedly to every lover of contemporary music out there!

Updated: 10/01/2024Posted: 10/01/2024

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