Nuance is unfashionable these days. Generosity is in short supply too. This is an age of polarised positions and me-first mantras, where algorithms demand rigid categorisation and charity begins at home. Nadje Noordhuis, however, is taking a different direction. Her fourth album, Full Circle, is packed with subtlety and tenderness. It’s almost shocking.
Noordhuis is an Australian trumpeter based in New York City. Her latest record welcomes Fred Hersch on piano, Thomas Morgan on bass and Rudy Royston on drums. They play eight original compositions plus one digital exclusive bonus track. Classical elements mix with lullaby qualities, pretty pop patterns and boppy bits. The effect is warm and unforced.
Little Song is a characteristic piece. The composition follows a short-loop format with a classical-tinted melody that resurfaces during jazzy improvisations by brass and keys. Noordhuis plays trumpet here, although her lush tone is often difficult to distinguish from her flugelhorn playing. The rich production quality provides a velvet backdrop.
There’s more space and less momentum on Northern Star, which bumbles across peaks and troughs at its own pace. Added echo helps the trumpet flood the open terrain. It’s a peaceful, almost bashful track.
Nebula delivers another full-bodied and open-hearted moment towards the end of the album. Noordhuis gently presses a cream-and-honey tone through (almost certainly) her flugelhorn. The other instruments snuggle around the melodic line. There’s delicate strength here, and a deep affection for musical possibilities – with lots of love for the listener too.
Noordhuis is a tactful and patient composer, letting phrases form in their own sweet time and voicing them with her soft-spoken trumpet tone. Full Circle is nuanced and generous in a time of swagger and selfishness. It’s an act of kindness. A show of compassion. A gift.
Discography
Little Song; Hudson; Northern Star; Entwine; Full Circle; Ventura; Braidwood; Nebula; The Closer (43.27)
Noordhuis (t, flh); Fred Hersch (p); Thomas Morgan (b); Rudy Royston (d). New York City, 2022.
Newvelle Records NV034
