Record Reviews
1 Review Found. Use search to find more reviews or follow the links in the review text.
  | MONGREL ~ TASKENSPILL
LOSEN 131 (Barcode: 7090025831317) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014
This is the debut album by young Norwegian Jazz quartet MongrelFind albums by this artist, which comprises of trumpeter Thomas Husmo LitleskareFind albums by this artist, pianist Johan LindvallFind albums by this artist, bassist Stian Andreas Egeland AndersenFind albums by this artist and drummer Tore FlatjordFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original compositions by Litleskare, Lindvall and Andersen.
The music is modern European mainstream, which is melody based but also open to less constrained improvisation and rhythmic freedom. For such young composers the music is remarkably mature and open minded and perfectly blends the Jazz tradition with contemporary trends. Surprisingly it is not deeply rooted in Scandinavian Jazz, with its dark melancholy, but rather tends to be more passionate and expressive.
All four musicians play splendidly, with Litleskare drawing most of the attention as the front man, but in fact the music is a well coordinated group effort and everybody gets an opportunity to show his chops. The trumpet sound is somewhat similar to Don CherryFind albums by this artist or Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, two great Masters of the instrument, which of course means that Litleskare learns from the best. Lindvall is very melodic and plays beautiful passages both as a soloist and accompanist. The rhythm section is perfectly able to keep steady time, when necessary, but also is equally proficient when the music ventures into Free territory, with Andersen providing a steady support for the music to move on and Flatjord gracefully adds his polyrhythmic ornamentations.
Overall this is a remarkable debut album, which again points out that these young European Jazz musicians are here to take the music into the future, preserving the tradition and expanding the genre, saving it from stagnation. The quartet fully justified the high hopes raised by this album by releasing a sophomore album ("Thick As ThievesFind albums with this title") two years later, which is also excellent. Wholeheartedly recommended!
| | Updated: 26/11/2016Posted: 26/11/2016 | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
|
