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Frode Gjerstad Trio: Steam In The Casa
ByThe record opens with "Pinch And Hide," a properly steaming free jazz assault, with Strøm and Nilssen-Love laying down a throbbing pulse constantly growing in intensity, while Gjerstad unleashes twisted saxophone lines and piercing upper register contortions. The atmosphere then changes, with the rhythm section pulverizing in steady drum hits and arco digressions, while Gjerstad remains in the same abstract mood, transforming the sound of his instrument through unorthodox techniques. The following piece, "Stranger In A Common Place," takes the opposite route, with bass and drums moving from a sparse, abstract activity to a bouncing vehicle for the clarinet excursions, firmly kept on the most strident registers.
"Dodging Borders," the longest track on the album clocking in at almost 13 minutes, further develops these themes, with a high energy, fractured rhythm base that constantly evolves in different permutationsfrom rock oriented sections to sinuous walking bass lines supporting Gjerstad's explorations of different thematic materials, mostly based on short ostinatos and simple but effective melodic modulations. There's an infectious enthusiasm in the proceedings, with the musicians constantly interacting with each other's ideas without fear of dismantling effective combinations, always in search of new paths to explore. In contrast with the preceding tracks, "Wobbly Rail" is a piece mostly played on subtle dynamics and tonal explorations, where Nilssen- Love's choice of unusual timbres and Strom's restrained arco work provide a rich backdrop for Gjerstad's breathy clarinet meditations, building a pensive, textural soundscape that brilliantly closes the album.
Track Listing
Pinch And Hide; Stranger In A Common Place; Dodging Borders; Scattered Fiction; Wobbly Rails.
Personnel
Frode Gjerstad
saxophone, altoFrode Gjerstad: alto saxophone, Bb clarinet; Jon Rune Strøm: double bass; Paal Nilssen-Love: drums, percussion.
Album information
Title: Steam In The Casa | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: PNL
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About Frode Gjerstad
Instrument: Saxophone, alto
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