Jazz Articles

Splashgirl: Doors. Keys.

by John Kelman
October 14, 2008

As exciting as Norway's annual Punkt Festival always is, there's inevitably one group that stands out as the sleeper hit--unexpected and lesser-known, perhaps, but delivering an especially memorable performance. Splashgirl's show was the hands-down sleeper hit of Punkt 08, and its debut disc, Doors. Keys., further bolsters its reputation as a group to watch. A piano trio at heart (though augmented with a pedal steel guitarist at its Punkt performance), its expansion to a sextet on selected tracks ...

Mats Eilertsen: Short Stories

by Budd Kopman
September 11, 2007

Short Stories, with fourteen tracks totaling less than forty minutes, is a disc of all solos (except for the last track) that manages to be intense and calming at the same time. Most current jazz releases have an overriding theme, or at least an attitude--compositional or otherwise--that binds the tracks together. That the motives of bassist Mats Eilertsen are not obvious makes the release all that more intriguing. What is obvious is the overall sound, which is ...

Mats Eilertsen: Flux

by Budd Kopman
September 7, 2007

Bassist Mats Eilertsen is in high demand as a sideman, and a member of quite a few longstanding groups. As a leader and composer, Eilertsen put out the very interesting and atmospheric Turanga (AIM Records, 2005). The outstanding Flux brings together the same players, but in an entirely different style. What is immediately apparent in the music is the group camaraderie that brings a sense of effortlessness to its members' interplay. The result is a sense of ...

Charles Mingus: Thrice Upon A Theme

by Matthew Miller
February 24, 2007

The reissue/compilation has always held a tenuous position in the music world. At best, it can save a work from obscurity; at worst, it can take it out of historical context and unnecessarily clutter the market with music that has been safely anthologized. A reissue of a reissue, Thrice Upon a Theme, is nonetheless a welcome addition to Charles Mingus' vast discography. The two-disc set contains a pair of relatively obscure mid-'50s sessions that in one case ...

Froy Aagre Offbeat: Countryside

by Stephen Latessa
February 17, 2007

Featuring finely crafted compositions and precise, yet stirring performances, Countryside is an ambitious and lovely followup to Frøy Aagre Offbeat's debut album, 2004's Katalyze. The album sports varying moods, veering from stately elegance to moments of more delicate humor and whimsy.

Composed and arranged by the saxophonist/leader, each track has obviously been worked over with care. While the longest song clocks in at just five minutes, each work features a palpable sense of movement and development. Featuring groaning ...

Charles Mingus: Thrice Upon a Theme

by Kurt Gottschalk
August 28, 2006

In 1956, bassist, bandleader and composer Charles Mingus began an ascent that would carry him at least until the Town Hall debacle of 1962. The explosion of energy, passion and fury that he would exhibit over those six years could barely be predicted from the dozen or so records he'd already released--good records, but tame compared to the drive of Mingus Ah Um (Columbia, 1959) or the free roll of Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (Candid, 1960). ...

Mats Eilertsen: Turanga

by Budd Kopman
March 20, 2005

Turanga is a low-key but intense album that is evocative of states of mind rather than sound images. The publicity sheet that came with the record has “(movement, rhythm, flow)" next to the title, and the recording certainly has those components in spades. While on the whole it has a Middle Eastern/Southeast Asia feel, it is mostly covert, except on “Oasis, and perhaps “Gamelange. Otherwise, the sense of place is subconscious. The players are from Northern Europe, specifically Norway, Sweden, ...

Froy Aagre: Katalyze

by Stephen Latessa
January 11, 2005

Norway, the land of fjords, reindeer, and Vikings has presented us with an album of cerebral grace. Frøy Aagre Offbeat's debut album Katalyze is a beautifully recorded and musically diverse offering. Consisting of Aagre on saxophone, Andreas Ulvo Langnes on piano, Roger Williamsen on double bass, and Freddy Augdal on drums, the band plays with an expansive sweep, simulating the sound of a larger ensemble.

Aagre, who composed Katalyze 's eight tracks, often recalls Wayne Shorter, particularly on ...

Terrance Simien: The Tribute Sessions

by Allen Goldberg
April 12, 2002

Multi-talented singer, songwriter and accordionist Terrance Simien was first introduced to Zydeco music in 1981, around the time he got his first accordion. The Tribute Sessions is an homage to those musicians who highly influenced the singer and songwriter. Along with nods to Canray Fontenot, Clifton Chenier and A.P. Carter, Simien covers Sam Cooke’s “Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day.” Simien’s warm, melodious tone reminds us of Cooke’s heyday and the late 50’s pop sounds.

With the beginning ...