Bruno Raberg: Chrysalis

There is truth in clich's, so pardon this one. The music that Bruno Rïberg creates on Chrysalis is a tone poem. Each verse casts a hue bathed in warm colours. Adding to the ode are the players who daub and splash, coat and swipe and emphasize the dimension. What results is music that captivates with its immediacy, yet is deep enough to create a spell that will linger in the mind.

If composition is the key to success of Chrysalis , so is improvisation. Rïberg draws the map; the musicians chart the course. And it all works very well indeed! Phil Grenadier sets the tone on the trumpet when it comes to opening "Chrysalis." He is eloquent, his long lines cutting a deep swath with Marcello Pellitteri adding the accents on the cymbals. It opens out, the tempo is pushed, and into this vista comes Mick Goodrick, melody finding expression on his guitar augmented by interesting changes. The horns lay a curtain of deep velvet behind the soloists and pretty soon the pulse is hardened by Raberg on the bass while Jeff Galindo rides the tide on the trombone. By the end, several manifestations come in and leave their mark.

There is a radiant skip when they ride the "Yellow Bus" fuelled by Donny McCaslin and Allan Chase, duetting on soprano saxophones, the soul brothers of invention. And "Snowaltz" has a delightful progression. The pace is well structured, leaving in its wake an erudite spell as they lift melody into a graceful state.

Lay back and let the feeling wash over you.