Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Robert Nordmark: In Motion

348

Robert Nordmark: In Motion

By

Sign in to view read count
Robert Nordmark: In Motion
At the heart of the jazz listening experience lies a paradox. Jazz is a music built on the live interplay of musicians, material and self, but we experience the music mostly through the record, or as Andre Millard calls it, in his book America on Record, ”the primary experience.” Millard also extends this notion to the musicians: ”Recorded sound was the great educator, attracting generations of performers into musical careers and schooling them in styles of music which were not often written down.”

Enter Swedish tenor saxophonist Robert Nordmark and his solid sextet album on Imogena, In Motion. It features ten original compositions, eight by Nordmark and two by guitarist Peter Nylander, showing all the hallmarks of a musical education that had a healthy dash of Blue Note albums, and most definitely a few ECM ones. Nordmark writes tight, memorable heads, allows for compact solos, uses rock solid swinging grooves and then adds fine harmonic details for an edgier sound.

On ”The Things You Said” the sextet has to navigate a complex, shifting head arrangement full of unison passages and rhythmic shifts. “Our House” keeps it simple with a strong, cinematic theme that sticks in the ear. “Not What You Think” combines all of Nordmark’s strengths and keeps the listener guessing. A funeral march-like piano intro shifts to a brief funky interlude, moves through an angular head chart, and then sets off into swinging solo section that cooks like a Sonny Clark record.

The ensemble demonstrates great technical facility without losing an expressive touch. Pianist Daniel Karlsson hits a Jarrett-like pocket on ”Round & Around,” where it feels like his rolling lines could stretch on forever. Nylander contributes significantly as a composer, accompanist, and soloist. On the minor mood groove of his “Cavalla,” the theme is tangle of Nordmark’s lead statement and trumpeter Gustavo Bergalli’s counterpoint. “Us” is a ballad that moves between an ominous bridge and more brittle melody. Nylander shapes it with wispy chords and crystalline lines.

On In Motion one hears not only the musical footprints of the past but the recorded footprints as well. Imogena’s engineer Åke Linton shapes a fine balance between the bold, earthy Blue Note sound and Manfred Eicher’s more spacious, detached tones. It tends towards the latter, and sometimes lacks the sizzle of Rudy Van Gelder’s punchy mixes. A little less separation and clarity of the instruments, especially the different drum parts, could have turned the vamping ”It Doesn’t Matter When” into a dusty, churning groove.

Whether Nordmark means these references to be intentional or not is beside the point. In Motion shows a musician drawing on all his experience—playing, recorded, educational—to craft an engaging set of tunes that gives listeners another recorded experience worth having.

Visit Imogena and Robert Nordmark on the web.

Track Listing

1.In Motion 2.Round & Around 3.The Things You Said 4.It Doesn

Personnel

Robert Nordmark: tenor saxophone; Peter Nylander: guitar; Gustavo Bergalli: trumpet; Daniel Karlsson: piano; Christian Spering: bass; Sebastian Voegler: drums

Album information

Title: In Motion | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Imogena

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.