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Paragon: Cerca
ByAlthough the band's been around for ten years, Paragon's members can still be classed as part of the younger generation of contemporary jazzers. Their wide-ranging roll- call of collaborators and employers includes established players like Mike Walker and Nils Wogram, contemporaries such as Kristian Borring and spoken word artist Kate Tempest.
Saxophonist Peter Ehwald and Rhodes player Arthur Lea share composer creditsLea wrote four tunes, Ehwald six. The saxophonist's compositions tend to be stronger melodically, Lea's tend to put more emphasis on rhythm. As a result, Lea's have more immediate impact but Ehwald's reward closer concentration as they reveal themselves more slowly. Ehwald's tranquil "Linguine" and "Ballade" make good use of the contrast between his own warm sax tone and Lea's bright Rhodes: Lea's "Cerca De Ti" is much more assertive, built around Scott's hard-edged drum sound.
Lea's "Fat Pig" is an exception to the rule. Its slow, meandering, opening sets the tone for the next five minutes, the tune's improvised feel suiting the melancholy emotion the band projects. Mood and feel transfer to Ehwald's "North To South," although there's a slight increase in tempo and, consequently, the melancholy resolves to something a little more upbeat and optimistic. Most intriguing of all is Ehwald's "Glory," featuring Nowak's arco bass. It's a controlled, restrained, number that mixes beauty and tension in equal measure.
Track Listing
Cerca De Ti; East To West; Delhi Belly; Bohdan; Glory; Blue Eyes White Dragon; Fat Pig; North To South; Linguine; Ballade.
Personnel
Paragon
band / ensemble / orchestraPeter Ehwald: saxophones; Arthur Lea: Fender Rhodes; Matthias Nowak: double bass; Jon Scott: drums.
Album information
Title: Cerca | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Jellymould Jazz
Comments
About Paragon
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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