Franz von Chossy Quintet – “When the World Comes Home”

I was recently wandering around the Bandcamp site, and I found this little gem of an album.  When the World Comes Home by the Franz von Chossy Quintet is just about the prettiest thing I’ve heard lately, and despite my busy listening schedule, I keep hitting the play button on this beautiful recording.  A contemporary blend of jazz, classical, and folk, strong melodies are stated simply, then lofted up on the shoulders of majestic harmonies and carried away by dynamic rhythms that often border on the breathless.

Opening track “Along the River” offers up harmonies soft and sweet.  “Steps of the Sun” adds a sense of urgency to the affair, with complex rhythmic strata and a lovely melody that flows through its seams.  “The Salt Companion” follows this with a melody that’s freer and allowed to roam, while remaining distinctly within earshot as it twists and turns, a fluid motion, perpetually changing shapes a little at a time.

“Perpetual Lights” plays and tinkers with melody with a pop music sensibility, drawing out exciting nuance without making it any less catchy.  “Human Dark With Sugar” and “Eternal Elephant” present a quieter side to this recording, with the former adopting a sorrowful tone and the latter opening out with a brooding disposition, then ending with a surging intensity.  “Victoria Line” returns with an upbeat tempo and a folk music swing.

The melodic development on title-track “When the World Comes Home” reflects not just this album’s staggering beauty, but the observation that the beauty grows stronger as the album proceeds.  The album ends with the skittering “Dust and Diamonds,” a track that coasts on warm harmonies and a melody that peeks out from within.  The album ends just like it began… with an abounding melodic grandeur and rhythms that crackle with life.

Absolutely thrilled to have stumbled onto this recording, and I’m just as thrilled to be able to share word of it here today.

Your album personnel:  Franz von Chossy (piano), Jeffrey Bruinsma (violin), Alex Simu (clarinet), Jörg Brinkmann (cello), and Yonga Sun (drums).

This album was Self-Produced, and released in 2012.

Jazz from the Amsterdam scene.

Available at: Bandcamp Digital | CDBaby CD&Digital | Amazon: CD – MP3

Note:  It appears that the track order on Bandcamp is different than that on other retail outlets.  I left my review in the order of presentation that represented how I heard it (the Bandcamp presentation), because that is how this music was revealed to me.  The alternate track ordering has the title-track as the album’s final song… I have to admit, that song makes for a great album finale.  But either way, you can’t go wrong.  Just a beautiful recording.