Jensen / Liebowitz / Blancarte / Wagner: Ephemeris

Saxophonist and flutist Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen is, above all, an explorer of sound. Jensen, who splits her time between her native Denmark and New York City, thrives in cooperative settings with other improvisers. On her twelfth release, the haunting Ephemeris, she joins forces with both old and new colleagues in crafting an absorbing and ethereal suite inspired by ancient cosmic mysteries.

"Almagest of Ptolemy" opens with a riotous interplay among the quartet members. Jensen's warm reverberating saxophone meanders within a dynamic rhythmic framework. To this lively conversation pianist Carol Liebowitz contributes crystalline and dense chords while Jensen's longtime collaborator, bassist Tom Blancarte adds gravitas with his pizzicato and con arco lines. Drummer John Wagner deftly varies the tune's cadence from angular up-tempo to slow and languid. The latter predominates on the second half as Jensen stretches out over Liebowitz's tolling keys with a contemplative extemporization.

The hypnotic ambience and the energy of the performances complement one another resulting in provocative music that is also shrouded in mysticism. On "Theia" Jensen switches to soprano saxophone and her acerbic wails together with her pops and squawks set the stage for the mythical collision. Liebowitz's sparse keys and Wagner's cymbal strikes form an otherworldly lullaby that Jensen's breathy phrases pierce. An expectant atmosphere ensues that is like the calm before the storm and then Jensen blows a clear melody over her bandmates' dissonant refrains. Wagner's thunderous polyrhythms usher in a serenity that balances saxophones piercing notes with silent pauses.

On "Gnomon," the most cinematic of all five interlinked tracks, the ensemble performance is darkly hued, simmering with an otherworldly soulfulness. The spirituality of the piece comes from its loosely woven structure. Jensen's bluesy saxophone mixes with Leibowitz's cascading notes over the splashing cymbals and rumbling drums and wistful basslines. The ebb and flow of the individual streams of consciousness solos sometimes clash resulting in stimulating melodic shards. At other times they meld together for a cohesive and fiery repartee. The result is provocative and moving, earthy and abstract.

As the title suggests Ephemeris is a musical diary of harmonic movements. It is a heady album that demands and rewards close listening. Its many layers allow for fresh discoveries with each spin making it a treat for the mind and the soul.

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