Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Penumbra Ensemble: Penumbra Ensemble

5

Penumbra Ensemble: Penumbra Ensemble

By

Sign in to view read count
Penumbra Ensemble: Penumbra Ensemble
Penumbra Ensemble is the project of Swedish guitarist Henrik Olsson, who is based in Copenhagen. The ensemble's self-titled debut enlists noteworthy young Danish jazz musicians, including drummer Mads Forsby and saxophonist Lars Greve from Girls In Airports.

The project is carried by Olsson's original concept where musical voices are twisted and turned. There is a clear influence from abstract painting, as evidenced by the composition "Klee," a reference to the Swiss painter Paul Klee. Olsson works with different musical building blocks and places them against each other, but the musicians have freedom within the compositional framework. Hazy brass lines complement spiky guitar figures on the opener "Ba-Umf" where Forsby adds a propulsive beat.

The album is rollercoaster of sounds. At times intense and noisy and other times dreamy and ethereal, as on "Penumbra," with the echoing tones of Olsson's guitar and a chiming vibraphone. It is a surrealist vision that is also reflected on the cover where a lock of hair is placed in the middle of a poetic seascape.

Henrik Olsson has said that the wants to encourage the spontaneous energy and freedom of the musicians. He has succeeded in doing so while, at the same time, creating a deeply personal expression of avant-garde-rock, jazz, world music and poetic soundscapes.

Track Listing

Ba-Umf; The Geometry of Calypso; Melting Rainbow; Penumbra; Klee; Nijinsky; Summon; Melted Rainbow.

Personnel

Henrik Olsson: guitar; Søren Pendrup: alto saxophone, clarinet; Lars Greve: alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, clarinet; Nicolai Claesson: upright bass, electric bass; Mads Forsby: drums.

Album information

Title: Penumbra Ensemble | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Self Produced

Comments

Tags


For the Love of 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 create 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.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve 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.
View events near Copenhagen
Jazz Near Copenhagen
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

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