Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Guus Janssen: Hollywood O.K. Pieces

Guus Janssen: Hollywood O.K. Pieces

By Jerry D'Souza
June 4, 2004
View read count

If there is one word that could be used to describe Guus Janssen, it would be fluid. This trait occurs in his bands, in the arrangements of his tunes and in his constantly evolving music. Janssen works within a framework that embraces melody. He then fleshes it with arrangements that make optimum use of the instruments, bringing them in to elevate the moment. Besides, there is no gainsaying which direction the music will go in; he makes sharp turns without losing momentum or logic.

Working with a sextet this time around, Janssen brings in music hall, New Orleans, swing, the blues and a bend into free jazz that perks interest with its devolution. The group gets right off the bat on the amalgam of “Angelicanzone,” where Janssen dances in on the overture, only to be fragmented by the bassoon of Rabinovitch. Vincent Chancey switches the mode as he counterpoints Janssen with short “oomphs” on the French horn, only to navigate past that with some free notes that slip cosily into the spaces of Janssen’s piano.

When it comes time for “Passage,” Chancey and Rabinovitch snuggle the ballad against the brushwork of Ernst Glerum, lending the pensive tune an incipient heat with their taut lines. Contrary to its name, “Slow Step” is anything but. It has a percussive air driven by Janssen on piano and accented by Wim Janssen on drums. Knowing Janssen, expectation is not belied and structure breaks down to freer motifs before it comes back with Peter van Bergen ringing in some fine swing on his clarinet.

Visit www.geestgronden.com

Track Listing

Angelicanzone; Slow Step; Havank; Konitzology; Passage; Memory Protect; Tricot; April

Personnel

Guus Janssen

piano

Peter van Bergen

Album information

Title: Hollywood O.K. Pieces | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: GeestGronden

PREVIOUS / NEXT

In The Beginning
< Previous

Fadeless Flower
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.