Roy Hargrove: Nothing SeriousFra Platekompaniet:
As one of the "young lions" who emerged on the jazz scene in the late 1980s, trumpeter Roy Hargrove belongs to the jazz camp that harks back to the classic hard bop put out on Blue Note and Verve in the 1950s and early '60s. NOTHING SERIOUS, which was released by Verve in 2006, finds Hargrove working solidly in this mode and adding his own distinctive voice to the legacy. Hargrove's quintet consists of top-tier musicians who push all the right buttons at every turn. It's hard to criticize the musicians for sticking to the history books when they're making music this fine (the Afro-Cuban-flavored title cut, and the haunting "Salima's Dance" are just two of the album's many highlights). Excellent songwriting and guest spots from trombone legend Slide Hampton round out the package. Solid from beginning to end, NOTHING SERIOUS proves that classic hard bop is still alive and kicking.
Nigel Kennedy: Blue Note SessionsFra Platekompaniet:
Classical violinist Nigel Kennedy built his reputation on more than just considerable musical talent--he cultivated an appearance and demeanor of a somewhat surly, slightly dissipated rock star. But Kennedy's influences and interests have always been wide-ranging, including jazz, and with BLUE NOTE SESSIONS he lets his "jazz side" have free reign. He and producer Jay Newland assembled a most formidable crew to accompany him, including drummer/composer Jack DeJohnette, big-toned tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, and genially versatile pianist Kenny Werner. While Kennedy is not exactly competition for Jean Luc Ponty, he does evoke Ponty in the latter's early, pre-electric career, playing with a direct lyricism and earnest swing. The selection of songs is both eclectic and enticing, including the bluesy "I Almost Lost My Mind" and the subtle groove of "Song For My Father."
Sondre Lerche: Duper SessionsFra Platekompaniet:
Duper Sessions er Sondre Lerches tredje album. En samling klassiske pop-låter i tradisjonen etter Cole Porter, Elvis Costello og Tin Pan Alley. Som låtskriver er Sondre et enestående fenomen. På tidligere utgivelser har vi kunnet høre Sondre Lerche som et muntert-melankolske vidunderbarn. Her, på Duper Sessions, har han for alvor gått av seg hvalpefettet, og fremstår som en voksen, fullblods artist som vet å strukturere sitt talent. Sammen med The Faces Down Quartet har han spilt inn et overdådig sjarmerende album som med 13 låter som hører sammen, de utgjør en helhet – samtidig som nesten hver og en av dem kan plukkes ut og bli en radio-hit.
Madrugada: MadrugadaFra Platekompaniet:
I den snart 10-årige historien til Madrugada vil 2007 alltid være et mørkt år. Robert Burås' bortgang har selvfølgelig gjort fremtiden usikker for Norges mest fremgangsrike band. De to resterende medlemmene, sanger Sivert Høyem og bassist Frode Jacobsen, besluttet å fullføre albumet som trioen jobbet med da Burås døde. Med hjelp fra en rekke av bandets nærmeste kolleger ble albumet ferdigstilt. Madrugada startet arbeidet med innspillingen av dette albumet i New York i slutten av mai og har brukt høsten på å bearbeide materialet i Svenska Grammofon Studio (drevet av Kalle Gustavson, bassist i Soundtrack Of Our Lives) i Gøteborg og de to amerikanske studioene Magic Shop (Manhatten) og Water Music (Hoboken, New Jersey). På dette albumet serverer bandet ni låter som er skarpere i kantene enn noe på forgjengeren The Deep End (2005). Naturlig nok har dette blitt en mørk skive, full av sterke låter med sterke tekster. Det kan spores litt Cave, litt Cohen, litt Stones, litt Tindersticks, litt Gun Club og veldig mye klassisk Madrugada. Foruten førstesinglen "Look Away Lucifer", må man spesielt merke seg mektige, suggererende og nydelige "What's On Your Mind?" og sistelåta "Our Time Won´t Live That Long", der Burås for første gang synger en låt på en Madrugada-skive.
The Thing: Action JazzFra Platekompaniet:
Med sitt tredje album, Garage, gjorde The Thing på mange måter frijazz stuereint, og satt sjangeren i en kontekst som gjorde at bandet ble omfavnet av så vel rocke- som elektronika-publikumet. På dette albumet spiller den luftige muskeltrioen låter av Ornette Coleman, Sveriges jazz-legende Lars Gullin, den japanske jazz-mesteren Yosuke Yamashita, punk–noise duoen Lightning Bolt, våre egne Cato Salsa Experience samt to låter av The Thing og en av Mats Gustafsson.
Wayne Shorter: Beyond the Sound BarrierFra Platekompaniet:
Since his early days with Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter has continually pushed the envelope. On this live quartet outing, Shorter continues on his quest for musical innovation: All eight tracks on BEYOND THE SOUND BARRIER are exciting, spontaneous, and lively. Further, the taut ensemble plays well off of each other as they ebb and flow, build, climax, and dissipate. This album contains no jazz standards or common song forms. It also avoids round-robin improvisations. In fact, there are really no individual solos heard here. On each tune, the group plays off of each other in a kind of group solo. Also, most of this music is rubato or without tempo. Highlights include Shorter's abstract reworking of Felix Mendelssohn's On Wings of Song, which juxtaposes a beautiful melody over a dissonant, chatty rhythm section. Over Shadow Hill Way slowly moves from a soft ballad to an explosion. This song is marked by bashing drums, ominous piano musings, and cascading soprano sax riffs. Additionally, the title track, Beyond the Sound Barrier features angular piano rhythms, wild cymbal play, and throbbing bass patterns. Overall, the daring playing on BEYOND THE SOUND BARRIER proves that jazz is still alive and kicking.
Også har vi til utlån:
Peter Brötzmann, Mats Gustafsson og Paal Nilssen-Love : The fat is gone
Tierney Sutton: Introducing Tierney Sutton
Ron Carter: Dear Miles
Free Fall: The point in a line
Bushroom's Revenge: Cowboy music
Jonas Kullhammar: Son of a drummer
Fredrik Ljungkvist: Badaling
Saxophone Summit: Gathering of spirits
The Thing: Garage
Supersilent: 5, 6
Paal Nilssen-Love: Dual Pleasure, Late play
Madrugada: The deep end, Grit, Live at Oslo Spectrum (DVD)
Christian Wallumrød: No birch, Sofienberg variations, A year from easter, The zoo is too far
Petter Wettre: Fountain of Youth, Household name, In colour, Live in Copenhagen, Meet the locals, The only way to travel, Pig virus, State of the art, The mystery unfolds, Tour de force
