Record Reviews

KENNETH DAHL KNUDSEN ~ UUMMAT NOT ON LABEL ~ DENMARK ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the fifth album by Danish Jazz bassist / composer Kenneth Dahl KnudsenFind albums by this artist recorded with a large ten piece ensemble that includes a vocalist (Undine RolavaFind albums by this artist), a string section, a brass section and a rhythm section and is his most ambitious compositional undertaking to date. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Knudsen. The music is wonderfully melodic, bordering on Classical Romanticism, full of lyricism and Nordic melancholy, influenced by Knudsen´s visit to Greenland and its vast calm surroundings. As a composer Knudsen obviously moved somewhat away from his Jazz origins and explores more Classical oriented forms, which include complex harmony and rich instrumentation. As a result this album features almost no soloing per se, which is an essential ingredient in a more Jazz oriented idiom, concentrating mostly on the ensemble sound. As much as I enjoy this music, I miss the "old" Jazz oriented Knudsen a bit and hope he will return to it in his future recordings. Overall this is a very interesting and beautifully played album, which presents diverse musical environments moving around Jazz-Classical Fusion, with some more adventurous explorations here and there with odd time meters and unusual instrumentation and even occasional free form improvisation. It is great to see a musician I have been following closely for the entire last decade, to develop steadily and explore new ground. Knudsen´s recorded discography so far is a great example of the work of new generation of European Jazz musicians / composers, characterized by restless probing of new possibilities. Well done indeed!

Updated: 16/01/2021Posted: 16/01/2021

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