Record Reviews

GARDEN ~ PILGRIM LOSEN 302 (Barcode: 7090025833021) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is the debut album by the Norwegian trio GardenFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist / composer Mathias HagenFind albums by this artist, bassist Henrik Sandstad DalenFind albums by this artist and drummer Oystein Aarnes VikFind albums by this artist. A couple of guest musicians appear on selected tracks. The album presents eleven tracks, all original compositions by Hagen. The music is based on clear melody themes and mixes the typical Nordic melancholy and lyricism with other influences, like Folkloristic Mediterranean echoes and uneven rhythmic patterns, creating a fascinating fabric, which is delightful in its minimalism and captivating atmosphere. Hagen is an excellent improviser, who moves in and out of the melody lines with elegance and obvious skill. Dalen provides superb bass support, both highly melodic and precisely rhythmical and Vik stays delicately in the background, carefully adding his accents without disturbing the flow. Overall, this is quite unusual and moving effort, which stands out in its originality and ability to create music with the “less is more” attitude, but which offers a captivating listening experience, on one hand typically Nordic but also full of exotic little accents, making things really interesting. This is an excellent debut effort and a wonderful example of European Jazz ingenuity, which never ceases to surprise.

Updated: 03/09/2024Posted: 03/09/2024

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