Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Reykjavik Big Band: Innri

2

The Reykjavik Big Band: Innri

By

View read count
The Reykjavik Big Band: Innri
Speaking of cool jazz . . .

It doesn't get much cooler than Iceland, where the remarkably talented Reyjkavik Big Band makes its home. According to the most recent available evidence, Innri is either the fifth or sixth album recorded by the RBB, which was formed in 1992 and is composed of professional musicians living and working in Iceland. All of the music on Innri was written by tenor saxophonist Joel Palsson and arranged (and conducted) by Kjartan Valdemarsson.

Palsson's themes are intense, cerebral, often dark, sometimes ethereal, and clearly demanding, expressing jazz from a conspicuously northern (that is to say, wintry) point of view. There is some dissonance, times when musicality gives way to turmoil, but those moments are, thankfully, few and far between as Palsson, for the most part, chooses to press home the more customary elements of melody, harmony and rhythm, albeit from an inflexibly modern perspective (think Maria Schneider or Carla Bley). The RBB weathers every storm with readiness and assurance, never once revealing the least trace of inefficiency or indecision.

That stands to reason, as the band has performed under the guidance of such eminent composer / conductors as Schneider, Frank Foster, Bill Holman and Bob Mintzer and earned Icelandic Music Awards for Best Jazz Performance (2005) and Best Jazz Album (2011). So there's nothing Palsson can devise that the RBB can't manage. Not that he doesn't try. From the (relatively) plainspoken harmonics of "Tjorn" (smartly introduced by pianist Eybor Gunnarsson and drummer Johann Hjorliefsson) to the wild and spasmodic rhythms of "Hotel Bristol," Palsson tests the band's mettle at every turn, and the band responds with sharp and spirited blowing, laying matters to rest on its own terms.

As Palsson favors trim, abrupt endings, the disparate themes unfold to some degree in the manner of a suite, one whose tempos and temperament encompass sufficient variety to keep the listener engaged and looking forward to the next bend in the road. While the names (of songs and personnel) may be unfamiliar (not to mention unpronounceable), Palsson's compositions honor established jazz criteria such as openness and improvisation, and it happens that he is also the band's most eloquent soloist. Each of the RBB's four trumpeters has at least one moment in the limelight, while alto saxophonist Sigorour Flosason has three, clarinetist Haukur Grondal one, trombonist Samuel Jon Samuelsson (who leads his own Icelandic ensemble) another. Palsson is impressive, the others competent, Grondal the most unruly and strident. However one appraises the music on Innri (and opinions may vary), it's gratifying to know that not only is there a big band in Reykjavik, Iceland, but that the ensemble is worthy of the label "world-class" as well.

Track Listing

Tjorn; Innri; Stuktur; Tusk; Yggur; Kellir; Surta; Kvabb; Hum; Hotel Bristol.

Personnel

Joel Palsson
saxophone

Kjartan Valdemarsson: conductor, arranger, accordion, vibraphone; Joel Palsson: composer, tenor sax, bass clarinet, kalimba; Ivar Gudmundsson: trumpet, flugelhorn; Kjartan Hakonarson: trumpet, flugelhorn; Snorri Siguroarson: trumpet, flugelhorn; Ari Bragi Karason: trumpet, flugelhorn; Sigurour Flosason: alto, soprano sax, flute, alto flute, bass clarinet; Haukur Grondal: alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet; Olafur Jonsson: tenor sax, clarinet, bass clarinet; Stefan S. Stefansson: baritone sax, alto flute; Einar Jonsson: trombone; Stefan Omar Jakobsson: trombone; Samuel Jon Samuelsson: trombone; David Bobroff: bass trombone; Eybor Gunnarsson: piano, Fender Rhodes; Davio Por Jonsson: Hammond organ; Gunnar Hrafnsson: acoustic, electric bass; Johann Hjorleifsson: drums, percussion; Einar Scheving: drums, percussion, vibraphone.

Album information

Title: Innri | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Self Produced

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter 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.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.