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Fred Delplancq: Horizons

By Mike Jurkovic
December 27, 2017
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From the charging, serpentine opener "Strange Atmosphere" through old school seductions like the angular, dark harmonics of the Keith Jarrett Euro-quartet-ish "Filipus" and the very Coltrane/Rollins "Desolation," Horizons, Belgian saxophonist Fred Delplancq's latest, is a rich and resonant tribute to the classic quartet mode.

With a decisively alpha-hard edge to his horn, Delplancq and his emphatic henchmen, free-wheeling pianist Vincent Bruyninckx, bassist Sam Gerstmans, and drummer Toon Van Dionant, enthusiastically pull and piston the leader's meaty, often moody compositions (and the samba-pop, lone non-original "Il a neigé sur yesterday") into absorbing, elastic workouts, ("Fritland," "L'aurore.")

The high point of Horizons is the musical interplay, with each track testifying to each player's innate desire to improvise and explore on his own, while having a hell of a time working together as a creative, and creating, unit.

Track Listing

Strange Atmosphere; Filipus; Desolation; Il a neigé sur yesterday; I Wish I Had Known You; Horizons; L'aurore; Fritland; Down Under.

Personnel

Fred Delplancq

All compositions by Fred Delplancq except "Il a neigé sur yesterday" by Jean-Claude Petit & Tony Rallo. Fred Delplancq (saxophone)/ Vincent Bruyninckx (piano)/ Sam Gerstmans (bass)/ Toon Van Dionant (drums). Recorded by Staf Verbeeck at Jet Studio, Brussels/ Mixed and Mastered by Staf Verbeeck & François Decamps/ Executive Producer by François Decamps.

Album information

Title: Horizons | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Hypnote Records

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