In the wake of his two preceding albums Le Funk Mystique (Bignote, 2022) and Times Revisited (Bignote, 2021), Danish guitarist Niclas Knudsen has produced a recording of limpid electric guitar, unadulterated by effects pedals. Knudsen is an alumnus of Berklee College of Music which may explain why his crystal-clear tone sounds not dissimilar to those of the famous Berklee alumni Mick Goodrick and Bill Frisell.
Migrating Songs, as its title suggests, traces a geographical theme, seamlessly crossing borders. The opener, Kind At Heart, has a laid-back country feel. Little Bird Of Passage, with its deceptively simplistic approach, signals the relaxed, sun-drenched climes of the Mediterranean.
Knudsen ups his game on the Iberian-tinged Catalan Call, infused with fast, nimble guitar work. The peace of the Swedish woods emulated by Småland is shattered by the comparatively rumbustious Lord Of Disaster. With its distinctly West African guitar vibe it was composed as a reaction to war in the East and is arguably the most effective track on the album.
This is a record that demands the listener’s full attention in order to better assimilate the subtlety of Knudsen’s playing. All these Knudsen compositions are so devoid of posturing artifice that they can be appreciated by anyone, not just jazz fans, but crucially they suffer no artistic dilution in the process and that’s an ultra-rare quality. There is no grandstanding here, just pure gracefulness and haunting lyricism from a master guitarist.
Discography
Kind At Heart; Little Bird Of Passage; Catalan Call; Småland; Five Stars; Butterfly Bubble; Lord Of Disaster; Northern Shanty (40.27)
Knudsen (elg); Andreas Møllerhøj, Matthias Petri; (b); Hans Henrik Holst, Andreas Svendsen (d). Copenhagen, 25 August 2022.
Bignote 008
