Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Martina Almgren Quartet: Unden

Martina Almgren Quartet: Unden

By Matthew Wuethrich
July 4, 2004
Sign in to view read count

Swedish drummer Martina Almgren declares that she wants to combine strong rhythms with ”expressive melodies.” On Unden, with a quartet of sensitive musicians, she achieves that goal. She has also been a flutist, and while she plays it here on only one tune, its influence is felt on all twelve of the album’s pieces, most of which are Almgren’s. The beats are typically light and Latin-tinged, and the melodies are clearly stated, usually by saxophonist Björn Almgren.

The bubbling, lyrical mood starts straight away on “Rumsla Samba,” M. Almgren spicing up the Southern hemisphere lilt with inflections of new Orleans second-line drumming. B. Almgren sets a jerky cadence with soprano sax on “Glader,” hinting at the ultra-nasal buzz of North African double reeds, and as the group builds up steam, bassist Owe Almgren’s busy, understated funk gets more and more active.

Yet even when the group pushes the intensity, like on the abstract drums-piano duet “Duo” and the brief “A Family Business,” the marriage of beat and melody are never far off. “Mr. Quentin” again has a snappy, swaying beat and a strong melody. Pianist Tommy Kotter strings together an ornate solo and O. Almgren improvises tastefully, yet the head and core rhythm are present throughout. (O. Almgren does make one unfortunate choice: he harmonizes his solo, and its sounds like he’s moaning more than singing.)

”Ciao Bello!”, with its jaunty two-beat, kitschy title and schmaltzy melody, encapsulates the light-hearted tones of Unden, where deft playing and a relaxed atmosphere prevail. The group’s drive for simplicity does lead them into some dead ends, like the generic “Gospel,” which sounds as unimaginative as its title. But overall, Unden offers a set of honest, unpretentious tunes interpreted with clarity and precision.

Visit Imogena and the Martina Almgren Quartet on the web.

Track Listing

1.Rumsla Samba 2.Miros 3.Glader 4.A Family Business 5.Unden 6.Duo 7.Mr. Quentin 8.Ciao Bello! 9.Balladien 10.Beloved 11.Gospel 12.Maya

Personnel

Martina Almgren

drums

Album information

Title: Unden | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: Imogena

< Previous
Morton's Foot

Next >
Live At Montreux

Comments

About Martina Almgren

Instrument: Drums

Tags

For the Love of Jazz

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.