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Søren Bebe / Jakob Buchanan / Kasper Tagel: Gone

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Søren Bebe / Jakob Buchanan / Kasper Tagel: Gone
It would be good if more non-jazzers under the age of 90 could also appreciate how little hardship there is in being totally absorbed by original music from a group like BeBuTa. Gone , from pianist Søren Bebe's trio plus guests is a real swell of reactions and contemplations that makes life feel a little less shallow than the virtual love we're all drowning under with selfie obsession. Gone would also make a surprise score for the next Aldi (or Audi) advert or any intense thriller/action movie of 2015.

It is hard to place Gone exactly as it is equal parts mystery, beauty and pleasing confoundedness. This Danish band, comprised of Søren Bebe's righteous playing and composing, trumpeter Jakob Buchanan and bassist Kasper Tagel, together with the addition of Helge Andreas Norbakken's drums and percussion, and saxophonist Julian Argüelles, is a consummate grouping of seemingly telepathic automatons, each member sharing their distinguished musical expertise and understanding in a balanced series that make for a fine and full-bodied album. If Gone had been written in the States in the '60s or '70s it would be a jazz classic with proportional reverence —and it should be revered as same in 2014 and beyond.

"My Old Friend Kenny" is exquisite, as previously mentioned in All About Jazz's Download of the Day. "Sweet Teenage Suite" is a melancholy sugar that comes in bite size cubes adding bursts of energy and angst, a little further along it has the first of several nicely repurposed Joshua Redman references that appear on the album; the suite culminates in a roaring, rousing and refreshing southern fried drum finale.

"Again & Again" is minimal, moody and distant, quite furtive and wary, led in by sax and then trumpet voice, which brings to mind elements of Arve Henriksen and Toshinori Kondo's soundscapes. "Traveller" is a thrill, with tension building sax, thudding bass drum, wailing and weeping trumpet repeats and a demanding sax proclamation that disperses on contact with piano, which brings a buzzing horn passage and another set of kick-ass bars that end with something cute that Redman used before. "Two Moons" is eerie and feels bi-lunar, like an alien's sky view and a moon landing all in one (pretty sure Miles Davis would feel it), with some engaging percussion.

"Three" builds a sweet phrase that captures the choir boy innocence of "Where is Love," from the musical Oliver, for all instruments in unison. A slow, growling and awakening horn call ensues (you might flip 1:15 like a DJ for a few repeats, and possibly 5:15 also) bringing a 'musi-phoric' sunrise with a creep step bass, a sense of mercy and a sassy "my life" victory final reprieve of the original phrase. Holy Ghosts 3: Demons 0.

"Gone" highlights a rich and lengthy, high polish intro from Argüelles, which connects cleanly to bass time from Tagel and some seamless trumpet/sax unison; a song of resolution more than despair. "Maria," begins as a lyrical and poetic enchantment, almost an elegy of sax and piano, leading to some heavy percussion from Norbakken and a strong bass line to conclusion. "Dragging" is the sound to accompany kites or sailboats drifting into bad weather or deep water, with glimpses of trumpeter Miles Davis' sparseness. It's a bolero with a mysterious eastern atmosphere and some western classical references. "Flying High" is sultry trumpet glides and unusual percussion that slip into something a little more comfortable than the Brooklyn sky, with a nod somewhere to Freddie Hubbard's "Skydive."

"T-Shirt" is a comical number, with pleasant levels of joyful exchange between all instruments—a tune for smiling and a pretty way to end a truly delightful album. In Gone , BeBuTa proves jazz is still the music to listen to when you have no desire to watch videos of overpaid artists prancing about in their underwear as if they know you.

Track Listing

My Old Friend Kenny; Sweet Teenage Suite; Again & Again; Traveller; Two Moons; Three; Gone; Maria; Dragging; Flying High; T-Shirt.

Personnel

Søren Bebe: piano; Jakob Buchanan: trumpet, flugelhorn; Kasper Tagel: bass; Helge Andreas Norbakken: drums, percussion; Julian Argüelles: saxophones.

Album information

Title: Gone | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: From Out Here Music

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