Home »
Jazz Articles » Album Review » Gush: Norrk
Gush: Norrk
Sound is a kaleidoscope of shapes. Here, it is formed by a trio that includes Mats Gustafsson, a multi-instrumentalist who has wet his lips in the company of Peter Brötzmann, Ken Vandermark, and John Corbett. Is it any surprise, then, that the music honks and hollers, spewing a volcanic steam of notes? But even as that happens, it relaxes into the calm of aftermath, soft shades that encompass interludes on the piano, a conversation with the drums, and moments of silence. A balance of sorts evolves. At the end of it all, the stentorious manifestations are primal to the cause, the results dazzling.
Clang and flutter sequence the opening as drummer Raymond Strid and pianist Sten Standell make brief exchanges, the situation ripe for Gustafsson to come in with some strangulated gusts before he opens the vent and frees short notes that grow in intensity as his mates push and prod the rhythm. "Handpicked evolves into an intense, stewing, melting pot of sound before it dips, all of a sudden, into a quieter mode. The air of calm becomes gentler, but nevertheless rich with deep explorations.
The landscape of the journey constantly shifts direction. Surprise is an element that keeps movement on edge, but there is something more. It comes in the way the three understand each other and how they pick up the mental thread that each unravels. Perhaps it comes from having been together since 1988. Yet, to their credit, time has not staled their impulses. Creativity is still ripe. And it is in that that their music bristles and stirs the senses.
Track Listing
Handpicked; Sava; Rhomb.
Personnel
Mats Gustafsson: fluteophone; alto fluteophone, French flageolet; soprano, tenor and
baritone saxophone; Sten Sandell?: piano and voice; Raymond Strid: drums.
Album information
Title: Norrk
| Year Released: 2005
| Record Label: Atavistic Worldwide
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz

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.