Record Reviews

NYPAN ~ STEREOTOMIC LOSEN 168 (Barcode: 7090025831683) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is a live recording by a quartet led by Norwegian guitarist / composer Oyvind NypanFind albums by this artist, with pianist Bernt MoenFind albums by this artist, Swedish bassist Egil KalmanFind albums by this artist and drummer Ole MofjellFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Nypan. This is Nypan´s fourth album and his second release on the excellent Norwegian LosenFind albums on this label Records. The music is typical guitar focused modern Jazz, which in spite of the fact that the musicians are Scandinavian, sounds very American, both stylistically and aesthetically. The compositions are melody based, but allow relative freedom, which includes some irregular rhythmic patterns and open structure. The melody stays basically well in the background, serving only as a vehicle for the guitar and less often also the piano to play their respective solos. The rhythm section seems to have some difficulties to follow the leader during the complex pieces and stays respectfully way in the background most of the time. When the music enters a Free Improvisation mode, it sort of falls apart. When a quartet plays a slow ballad or a straightforward swinging music, everything works well, but the music becomes corny. Overall, although the participants are all very experienced and skilled musicians, the album lacks coherence and clarity to make it an enjoyable listening experience. Some melodic guitar parts are able to hold water for a while, but at some point the magic is simply lost. Guitar freaks might find this album interesting, at least in part, although it is rather difficult to grasp as a whole. Good intentions that did not pay off this time…Of course only my very personal view.

Updated: 16/05/2017Posted: 16/05/2017

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RONNINGS JAZZMASKIN ~ JAZZMASKIN! LOSEN 154 (Barcode: 7090025831546) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by the Norwegian / Swedish quartet Ronnings JazzmaskinFind albums by this artist, led by Norwegian drummer Truls RonningFind albums by this artist, which also includes Norwegian saxophonist Martin Myhre OlsenFind albums by this artist, Swedish saxophonist Petter KraftFind albums by this artist and Swedish bassist Egil KalmanFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, five by Kraft, three by Olsen and one by Kalman. The music is an interesting Jazz cross-sub-genre hybrid, obviously rooted in the Bebop and Hard Bop traditions, but with a lot of space and freedom which allows for the music to explore modern improvisational patterns. The melodic base is still there, but it gets less emphasis in the overall group approach. The balance between the double saxophone front line and the rhythm section is very unique here, with the saxophonist playing with each other on one plane, and then with the rhythm section on another plane, with allows for quite a complex multi-conversational result, which is extremely effective. The unisono saxophone heads stating the melodic themes soon develop into individual solos and finally into a group improvisation, all within one tune, which is pure musical joy. Thanks to the different sound produced by the saxophonists (Olson playing alto and soprano and Petter playing tenor) the overall sound achieved by the quartet is much "bigger" and powerful, as well as diverse and interesting, than one might expect. The rhythm section is very strong and precise, which keeps the group result crispy and swinging like a metronome. Kalman is the bottom which glues the sound together and Ronning very energetically pushes the music forward. Together the quartet sounds like a well oiled mean music machine, which is unstoppable. It is great to hear another bunch of young (well, some younger than others) Jazz musicians keeping the Jazz tradition alive and up to date, not copying old patterns but inventing their own. Perhaps the Norwegian / Swedish blend is a good formula for Scandinavian Jazz ensembles, as it results in an ass-kicking quartet that does not try to play the so called Scandinavian Sound again. This music sounds much more like what other young European Jazz outfits are playing today all over the continent: invigorating music, free of inferiority complexes towards the Godfathers of this idiom from across the pond. This is another great album on the LosenFind albums on this label Records label, which keeps surprising the listeners time after time. Well done everybody!

Updated: 12/06/2018Posted: 11/03/2016

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