Peter Danemo: Peter Danemo

Swedish drummer Peter Danemo leads his own groups and quartets. The first one featured the late pianist Esbjorn Svenssonand was called the Peter Danemo Kapell— since the late eighties but his output as a leader is relatively rare. He is a diverse musician-composer and played in many Nordic outfits including ones that featured third stream jazz, a tribute group to hard rock bands LED and the modern jazz bands like the quartet Meloscope.

His new, untitled album features a new nonet of like-minded improvisers who like to experiment with forms and sounds. The music relies on dynamic rhythmic layers created by Danemo, who adds electronic treatments to his drums and percussion kit, augmented by two more percussionists. The compositions are divided into ones that are strictly notated, still with enough room for strong personalities in this group, and a set of four improvised, atmospheric pieces, "Nuances," led by trumpeter Staffan Svensson, guitarist David Stackenäs, percussionist and vocalist Lisbeth Diers and Danemo.

The rhythms morph and change quickly on the composed pieces. From the Middle-Eastern on the spare "Elsewhere" to the Latin on the post-bop energetic "Opening Scene," featuring muscular solos of trombonist Mats Äleklint, tenor saxophonist Karl-Martin Almqvist and baritone saxophonist Alberto Pinton. The cinematic "Face Open, Eyes Closed" highlights a remarkable fragile solo introduction by tuba player Per-Åke Holmlander, that sets a suggestive atmosphere for the following solos, including an impressive one by Svensson who uses extended breathing techniques. "No 1" revolves slowly above light rhythmic basis while Stackenäs' fractured guitar lines on "The Red door" suggest a shiny Andalusian atmosphere blurred eventually by Holmlander's dark tuba solo.

The "Nuances" series is more experimental in spirit. "I" is focused on the abstract sonic search of timbre and new sounds. "II" wraps the gentle, wordless vocals of Diers with unworldly electronic treatments and brief pulses. "III" focused on manipulated, rhythmic sounds with a distant touch of trumpet blows. The last one "IV" accompanies the imaginative, fragile trumpet flights of Svensson with futuristic, tribal pulse.

Highly impressive.