Arild Andersen: Landloper

The stark elegance of Arild Andersen's bass playing has been inspiring and entertaining audiences since the 1970s. He first gained prominence as a member of the Jan Garbarek Quartet, performing alongside Jon Christensen and Terje Rypdal, and was among ECM's first recording artists. Throughout his career he has performed and recorded with jazz luminaries including Sonny Rollins, Chick Corea and Kenny Wheeler. While he has worked alongside many jazz giants, Andersen has also dedicated himself to fostering and cultivating emerging talent.

Over his half-century career, Andersen has been featured in jazz trios and quartets, while venturing beyond traditional jazz boundaries to collaborate with string quartets, explore Norwegian folk songs and compose theatre music. On this, his first solo album, Landloper, he weaves together jazz classics, original compositions and carefully chosen covers. His selection of works by Ornette Coleman, Charlie Haden and Albert Ayler reflects the influence these innovators have had on his musical ideas.

Andersen recorded Landloper live in the intimate setting of Oslo's Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene, where he transformed his solo performance into something more expansive through his use of effects pedals and an Echoplex loop machine. Although performing alone, he creates rich sonic landscapes by spontaneously layering his bass lines, using loops created live during the performance to build complex harmonies and rhythmic patterns.

The album opens with "Peace Universal," a Ra Kalam Bob Moses composition that Andersen developed at his home studio. Subtle atmospheric chord progressions interweave with the bass melody, creating a contemplative soundscape. Moving into the live performance, Andersen's own "Dreamhorse" showcases his skilful use of electronic loops. The track builds layers of rhythms and harmonics around a central lyrical theme, while his improvised passages explore subtle melodic variations. Through his sophisticated use of the Echoplex, Andersen creates a tapestry as each new musical phrase complements what came before.

The album's first medley begins with Andersen playing arco bass on Ayler's "Ghosts." This segues into "Old Stev," a traditional Norwegian folk song. Over washes of electronics, Andersen's inventive bass lines find the lilting qualities of the tune. The medley concludes with the title track, composed by Anderson, in which he plays the bass like a bluesy lead guitar, creating a terrific conclusion. Following this, there is certainly magic abroad in the air as Andersen's strings reverberate in a poignant version of "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square."

"Mira," originally the title track of Andersen's 2014 ECM trio album with Paolo Vinaccia and Tommy Smith, retains its meditative character in this solo interpretation. The album concludes with an artfully-constructed medley, opening with Coleman's "Lonely Woman" from The Shape of Jazz to Come (Atlantic, 1959). Andersen's fluid warm interpretation draws listeners into the composition before he transitions seamlessly to Haden's "Song for Che." Throughout the album, this true bass master demonstrates his superb ability to articulate rhythms and harmonic hues in an intimate soundscape, making this an immersive pleasure.