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Oliver Lake: Lake/Tchicai/Osgood/Westergaard
Osgood begins the first track, "Azurite, with a nimble tribal beat, which Lake and Tchicai follow up with seductive and equally nimble solos. Composed by Tchicai, its gripping melodic energy permeates the rest of the record, giving the studio recording the type of force usually present only in live concerts. At the end of the tune, Osgood expands on the opening beat in a mesmerizing solo that shows off his dexterity and skill.
"Turku Boogie, composed by Westergaard, ventures into swing territory, eventually giving way to a mellifluous, meditative solo by Lake whose tone is gentle yet forceful and it dances thoughtfully across the tune, adding depth to the light swing tempo.
Strangely enough, Lake composed only one of the eight songs on the record. Though "Valley Sketch begins with an aggressive percussion rhythm, it maintains the hard swinging buoyancy present in the rest of the album. Tchicai performs a sparse yet complex solo, which Westergaard complements with his own commanding bass lead.
"Smiling Billy Higgins, composed by Osgood, swings just as hard as "Turku Boogie and features yet another brisk, dizzying solo by Lake. He and Osgood dive into a highly energetic duet that makes the tune the perfect conclusion to a spiritually sumptuous record. With Lake's avant-garde leanings and the quartet's compositional diversity, this is an insightful and wholly satisfying record.
Track Listing
Azurite; Valley Sketch; Loop for Susan; Turku Boogie; Der Er Stilhed I Tingene; Osgood in Asgaard; Spirit; Smiling Billy Higgins.
Personnel
Oliver Lake
saxophoneOliver Lake: alto saxophone/poetry; John Tchicai: tenor saxophone/poetry; Kresten Osgood: drums; Jonas Westergaard: bass.
Album information
Title: Lake/Tchicai/Osgood/Westergaard | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Passin' Thru Records
About Oliver Lake
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