When one's musical influences range from Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis to John Coltrane, Gil Evans, Herbie Hancock, Ornette Coleman, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, Pharoah Sanders and the Grateful Dead, as percussionist Per Tjernberg's do, it's fairly certain that the music he composes will be as bold and ambitious as it is pointless to pigeonhole. Such is the case on Inside Information, on which Tjernberg, on his eleventh recording, employs groups of various sizes and instrumentation to underscore his provocative and generally pleasing concepts.

This is contemporary jazz with a Swedish veneer, for the most part cool and understated, with sundry layers of consonance and development. Tjernberg carries out his musical designs by using everything from a quartet with dual-flute front line ("Troutfishing in America ) to a twenty-one piece orchestra with three drummers and two pianists ("Inside Information ). There are solos, but they emerge so naturally from the score that one scarcely notices they are there, with the possible exception of "Gröndal, a sunny theme for nonet that closes the album on an upbeat, swinging note, and on which pianist Bobo Stenson and saxophonists Bernt Rosengren, Tommy Koverhult and David Wilczewski are the soloists.

The musicians are first-class, as are Tjernberg's compositions and arrangements. Not suitable for everyone's palate, perhaps, but nonetheless tasty for those who are able to digest more than garden variety cuisine.

Tracks and Personnel

Portology

Tracks: Sound Lee; June '05; A New Ballad; Medley: Ornetty, September 11th, Ornetty, Part 2; Rhythm Sweet: 'Dante, To Be Or Not To, Fragmente, Tempo di Lee, Moderato; Relative Major.

Personnel: Lee Konitz: alto saxophone; Ohad Talmor: conductor, arranger, music director; Erick Poirier, Rogério Ribeiro, Susana Silva, José Silva: trumpet, flugelhorn; José Luis Rego, João Guimarães, João Pedro Brandão, Mário Santos, Zé Pedro Coelho, Rui Teixeira: reeds; Michaël Joussein, Alvaro Pinto, Daniel Dias, Gonçalo Dias: trombone; André Fernandes: guitar; Carlos Azevedo, Pedro Guedes: piano; Demian Cabaud: bass; Mário Barreiros: drums.

The Lost Tapes

Tracks: L-Dopa; Fox Hunt; Tenderly; Watermelon Man; Somewhere; The Italian Suite; Eleanor Rigby; The Fruit of the Loon; Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me; Blue Birdland.

Personnel: Maynard Ferguson: trumpet, flugelhorn, valve trombone, tenor horn; Martin Drover (1, 2, 5, 7), John Donnelly (1, 2, 5, 7), Ernie Garside (1-7, 10), John Huckridge (1, 2, 5, 7), Barry Whitworth (3 ,4, 6, 10), Alan Downey (3, 4, 6, 10), Stan Mark (8, 9), Don Hahn (8, 9), Bob Summers (8, 9), Lynn Nicholson (8, 9): trumpet; Peter King (1-4, 6, 7, 10), Stan Robinson (1), Brian Smith (1-5, 7-10), Bob Watson (1-7, 10), Danny Moss (2, 5), John Holbrook (2), Roger Fleetwood (3), Gary Cox (4, 6, 10), Jeff Daly (5, 7), Alan Skidmore (6), Andy Macintosh (8, 9), Bruce Johnson (8, 9): reeds; Billy Graham (1, 2, 5, 7), Reg Brooks (1), Adrian Drover (1, 2, 5, 7), Chris Pyne (2, 5), Albert Wood (2), Wally Aldred (3, 4, 6, 10), Harry Burges (3, 4, 6, 10), Norman Fripp (7), Randy Purcell (8, 9), Jerry Johnson (8, 9): trombone; Pete Jackson (1-7, 10): acoustic, electric piano; Allan Zavod (8, 9): piano; George Kish (2): guitar; Steve Gray (7): organ; Dave Lynanne (1-7, 10): bass, bass guitar; Rick Petrone (8, 9): bass; Randy Jones (1, 2, 5, 7), Bob Gillespie (3, 4, 6, 10), Danny D'Imperio (8, 9): drums.

Live! At the Pittsfield City Jazz Festival

Tracks: Introduction; Esprit; His Dreams; Neves; You Don't Know What Love Is; Nasty Masty; Of One's Own; Tron; Nossa Bova; Some Minor Stuff; Pure Imagination / Never Never Land; Silver Streak Shuffle.

Personnel: Walt Gwardyak: director, piano; Jeff Holmes, Steve Fitzko, Phil Person, Hank Zorn: trumpet; John Mastroianni: alto, soprano sax, clarinet, flute, piccolo; Bob DePalma: alto sax, clarinet, flute; George Sovak, Larry Dvorin: tenor sax, clarinet, flute; Lisa LaDone: baritone sax, bass clarinet, clarinet; Tim Atherton, Peter McEachern, Dave Sporny: trombone; Dave Wampler: bass trombone; Steve Bulmer: bass; Jon Mele: drums.

Here In The Now

Tracks: Max; Bossa Antigua; Seesaw; Tork's Café; Eye of the Hurricane; Shout Me Out; Mel.

Personnel: Dana Landry: director; Toshi Chun, Mario Pesacreta, Jason Gunderson, Kevin Whalen, Robby Beasley, Doug Doerfert, Chris Winans (2), Tyler Gilmore (2): trumpet; Dustin Drews, Nick Frazee, Jason Nelson, Shawn Constantino, Garth Gourley, Josh Winans, Matthew Roehrich, Justin May (2), Ed Orgill (2), Pete Jeffryes (2), Byron Urbanec (2): reeds; Jamie Parker, Shannon Salcido, Rob Borger, Gary Mayne, Doug Scarborough, Meghan Hall (2), Tom Ball (2): trombone; Ben Haugland, Jed Jensen (2): piano; Adam Quane, Scott Kruser: guitar; Adam Trachsel: bass; Cody Loucks: drums.

Live At The Jazz Gallery

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