Gilles Grethen Quartet & Strings: State of Mind

The concept of a jazz group backed by a string ensemble is nothing new. However, this set from the pan-European Gilles Grethen quartet is a particularly lovely example of the combination.

Guitarist Grethen, from Luxembourg, leads a group which features trumpet, bass, and drums, and is accompanied on this album by an eleven-piece string ensemble. The music he wrote for the project seamlessly integrates the quartet and string elements, contrasting moods of serenity and subtle tension. "Change" moves slowly and dramatically as the strings lay down a firm foundation for Vincent Pinn's graceful trumpet and Grethen's malleable guitar chords. "Transcendence" follows much the same pattern but at a faster tempo with a funky bass line, and has Pinn soaring as the strings twirl en masse, "Until The Moon Went Down" first builds a different tension out of the contrast between Pinn's rising trumpet, surging string chords and trickling guitar riffs. Then, as the music continues, the bass and drum lines fragment while Pinn settles into appealing ballad playing.

Pinn's horn-playing is sumptuous and poignant throughout the album, no matter what the musical background. On "Delerium," he plays before a stimulating setting of minimalist string repetitions and Michel Meis' intricate percussion patterns. Bassist Gabriele Basilico contributes a stately solo to this piece. "State of Mind" has more of an intermittent stop-and-start rhythm to it while "Outside" is the most up-tempo composition of the set; unison trumpet and guitar lines chime over a fast-stepping funky beat before soaring separately as the strings stay more in the background. Grethen's melodic writing is lush and gorgeous here as it is throughout the album. Pinn maintains a richly poignant tone as he floats over the hazy atmosphere created by Grethen's guitar work. "Contemplation" recalls the gentle quiet of "Change," but with a syncopated loping bass and a Brazilian tinge in Grethen's guitar which eventually spreads to the entire quartet.

Grethen's compositions and arrangements have a sophisticated coolness which is brought out well by these musicians. The string parts enhance the quartet's work nicely but never overwhelm it. This album contains music of understated depth and complexity which goes down very easily.