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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