Martin Lutz Group: LoLife/HiLife

Danish pianist and composer Martin Lutz spent much of his childhood in Eastern and Southern Africa and elements of those regions' music are to the forefront of his writing, grafted on to a Northern European folk and neo-classical base. On LoLife/HiLife, Lutz leads a sextet with a three-saxophones frontline and the African influence is most clearly heard in his horn voicings.

The result is a lyrical and redemptive sound which somehow, despite this being a purely instrumental affair, repeatedly brings to mind the early work of Norah Jones. One of her pieces in particular, "Don't Know Why" from Come Away With Me (Capitol, 2001), keeps edging into the mind, especially on the first, LoLife side of Lutz's LP.

Lutz suggests that the five LoLife tracks are concerned with the melancholic side of life, but they sound more reflective than they do regretful. The six tracks that comprise HiLife, side two of the LP, are relatively hotter and more up-tempo, sunlit rather than moonlit, but still carrying traces of the first side's embracing gentleness. All four horn players (there is a different tenor saxophonist on each side) are on-message melodic soloists and we get to hear plenty from them.

LoLife/HiLife works well as kickback and chill-out music, whichever side is played first. If there is a criticism to be made, it is only that Lutz's harmonic palette, particularly as heard in the horn arrangements, is a tad unvarying. Then again, it might well strike some listeners as cohesive rather than samey. Either way, there is much to enjoy in this understated but quietly vibrant music.

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