Victoria Kirilova: Roots & Skies (Da Vinci Jazz C00997)
There is something old school about bassist Victoria Kirilova’s debut album. With no tricks or gimmicks, it just relies on the strength of the songs to hold the attention. At only seven tracks long the album feels criminally short, but as the old saying goes, good things come in small packages, and each song is a gem.
The music is jazz blended with Middle Eastern flavours and nods to Kirilova’s Bulgarian heritage. It’s fuses together really well and is engaging from the start. The choice of having clarinet over the more traditional sax or trumpet is inspired because it adds depth and sometimes (especially in the intro to Petrunka) a sinister tone. There are some fine solos throughout, highlights being piano on Petrunka, clarinet on Neda and a wonderful intro from bass and clarinet on the magical Lyra.
The album is unhurried and easy to enjoy, a musical partner to a Brothers Grimm story where the vocals haunt, the percussion taps and clicks like broken branches and falling rain and the bass is deep beneath the soil. Good stuff.
Landaeus Trio: Resilience (SFÄR)
Art often reflects the location in which it has been created, and this is true in Scandinavian jazz. I find Scandi-jazz – like most of Scandinavia – full of space and open areas. It can be haunting and cold, and this is definitely evident in a three-piece setting where space is always something that needs to be addressed.
The music on show here is stripped back and is quite stark in its production. It reminds me (particularly in the title track and in Blipful) of the Thelonious Monk trio’s output, where the piano seems to sit in a different orbit to the rest of the music but fits perfectly with what is going on around it. This is an album to sit back with – with a good drink in a good chair – and simply absorb. It’s unrushed, quiet, engaging and something that requires your full attention.
The album is dedicated to the freedom fighters around the world and there are nods here and there hinting at a military influence. The drum pattern and whistle-type sound on Greed Ruined It For Everyone and the chaos and fury on Start And Stop, Stop And Start sounds like a soundtrack to Picasso’s painting Guernica.
This is an album that will benefit from repeated listens, from hearing the confident piano and understanding how the bass is finding the groove between an expressive piano and a drummer who adds drama to the compositions. This won’t fully be revealed until you’ve taken everything in.
I liked this album. It plays out like a movie, starting brightly and increasing in drama until it peaks on Rising From The Top before easing back a little to end. There is a CD-only bonus track – The Dark Tree – which is superb, with powerful bass, strong piano, a fantastic central riff and great drum work. Even if the album as a whole doesn’t appeal, at least give this track a listen.
Trygve Fiske Sextet: The Flowers. The Dance. The Rumble And The Stumble (Slaraffensongs SLFS40)
There seems to be an underlying sci-fi flavour to opening track Five Against You! on Norwegian bassist Trygve Fiske’s latest album: imagine a cross between the original Star Trek theme tune and the chaos of Charles Mingus and you’re halfway there.
We get twinkles, blips, bloops and an intermission before the music confidently moves into a swing groove and repeated riff. It’s a strong opener and although the album is a five-track journey, it’s a journey well worth taking and reinforces the adage that good things come in small packages.
There is a feeling of sci-fi and otherworldly themes throughout. The intro salvo on Til Karianne opens out to a lovely short bass piece (fantastic tone!) before switching to a nodding rhythm with a 70s-feel synth part. It’s uplifting and joyous but in a chilled, laid-back way.
This album is constantly interesting, switching mood frequently, and succeeds in allowing the central instrument to engage the listener. It has such a deeply layered background that every space is filled with something new. It’s a little like a musical equivalent of an old shop, filled to the brim with curios and shiny knick-knacks: there is always something to catch the eye (or ear in this case) and you can spend ages just exploring and discovering new things.
There are echoes of Herbie Hancock’s Fat Albert Rotunda and Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew in the album closer, Osterdalsgata: there seems to be chaos within the clicking cymbal, synth and brass but you know the band will find their way out. A very engaging album – perhaps not one that will reveal its secrets in the first listen but stick with it because it improves with each voyage.
