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Ulf Wakenius: Notes from the Heart
ByBut Jarrett's influence reaches beyond pianists. His ability to combine an almost fragile lyricism with richer complexities and imbue the jazz language with an appealing folksiness has influenced more than one generation of players on other instruments, including the equally influential guitarist Pat Metheny.
Swedish guitarist Ulf Wakenius' style has clearly been filtered through Jarrett and Metheny, but that's not to imply he lacks his own voice. On Forever You (Stunt, 2004) he demonstrated their same deep respect for melody and the essence of song, but with an economical approach that belied his considerable virtuosity. On Notes from the Heartthe first album ever to feature a single artist paying tribute to Jarrett the composer and the performerWakenius turns his attention to interpreting his music. By approaching not only some of Jarrett's more well-known songs, but also material from his solo piano improvisations, Wakenius proves Jarrett's statement that the real time compositional nature of improvisation is more than self-justification for abandoning conventional writing.
Restricting himself to classical guitar, Wakenius mines a cross-section of material from many stages of Jarrett's career, from the delicately melancholic and Latin-informed "Everything That Lives Laments, from The Mourning of a Star (Atlantic, 1971) to the more ostinato-based, groove-centric title track from The Cure (ECM, 1991). Jarrett's European Quartet is represented by the gently balladic "Innocence from Nude Ants (ECM, 1980), the vulnerable beauty of the title track to My Song (ECM, 1977), and the more up-tempo folksy complexity of "The Windup, from Belonging (ECM, 1974).
The American Quartet is represented here, as is the Standards Trio. Throughout, Wakeniusoften layering his linear lines over an overdubbed rhythm guitar trackis sensitively accompanied by two long-time associates: bassist Lars Danielsson, who also adds occasional piano and cello, and drummer Morten Lund.
But the most compelling piecesand the best evidence of Jarrett's compositional sensibility in any contextare those fashioned from his solo piano works. "Memories of Tomorrow, better known as "Köln II C from The Köln Concert (ECM, 1975), is an elegant bossa, while "Mon Couer Est Rouge, from Concerts (ECM, 1981) is a profoundly touching duet with Danielsson on piano.
Throughout, Wakenius' evocative playingat times exploring the meaning of a single note, elsewhere more elaborately fashioned phrasesdigs deep into Jarrett's material, dispensing with all artifice and getting right to the core. Notes from the Heart is aptly titled. Wakenius pays reverent homage to Jarrett in the best way possibleby demonstrating Jarrett's unequivocal influence and fully subsuming it in his own pure and unaffected musical approach. Simply beautiful.
Track Listing
Memories of Tomorrow; Dancing; Innocence; The Windup; My Song; Mon Coeur Est Rouge; Everything That Lives Laments; The Cure; So Tender; U-Dance; Prayer.
Personnel
Ulf Wakenius
guitarUlf Wakenius: acoustic guitars; Lars Danielsson: double-bass, cello, piano; Morten Lund: drums.
Album information
Title: Notes from the Heart | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: ACT Music
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