Adia Vanheerentals: Taking Place

Belgian saxophonist Adia Vanheerentals is a prodigious talent, having started performing at age 9 and graduating from the Antwerp Conservatory in her early 20s.  She is also an imaginative improviser and virtuoso performer.  At 27, she already has five releases under her belt and has been impressing critics and audiences alike with her singular approach to creative music.   Her fifth release, Taking Place, is a set of enchanting solos cushioned by ambient sounds.

The album opens with "Silo," on which Vanheerentals' soprano saxophone echoes hauntingly in the empty building of the title.  The spontaneous melody is primarily composed of clear, agile lines, primarily in the upper registers of the instrument.  The dynamic improvisation has a restlessness to it that increases in tempo throughout, closing on an urgent note.

"Henhouse," meanwhile, is quieter, with Vanheerentals sticking to the lower range of her sax.  The hypnotic refrains are brief and poignant, slowly evolving into a warm, folk-influenced tune punctuated by the chicken's faint clucking.  Vanheerentals' performance lends musicality to the hens' vocalizations, creating an ambience of a quiet village morning.

Similarly, "Koekje" consists of brief and angular phrases that effortlessly interweave within a cinematic scene, evoking a sunny day in the park.  Over the gentle din of twittering birds and children's voices at play, Vaneerentals builds a fluid, lyrical extemporization that maintains subtle tension.  Hence, she endows the peace with a dramatic introspection.

The most mellifluous track is the emotive "Steps," recorded in a stairwell. It's a yearning piece replete with wails that are sublimely wistful.  Much like its title, Vanheerental goes up and down the scales with lithe grace. Despite at times flirting with dissonance, the music remains soulful with a bittersweet melancholy.

Elsewhere, on the contemplative "Reflect," Vanheerentals uses silent pauses to create a reverberating effect.  Her saxophone, at times, resonates like a bagpipe, while at others, its crisp, clear song is akin to a clarion call.  The contrast between the two styles gives the piece a vibrancy and a meditative quality.

This is a brilliant work that stimulates with its ingenuity and moves with its shimmering beauty.  Taking Place is innovative without being abstruse, accessible without being formulaic.  With it, Vanheerentals demonstrates an artistic maturity beyond her years.