Sep 8 2012
Two For The Morning: Ketil Bjornstad – “Remembrance” & “The River”
Back around 2005, I went through a heavy ECM Records label buying spree. It was right around when I discovered that now-defunct music retailer BMG (similar to the old mail-order Columbia Buy 1 Get 10 Free Albums deal) had an online presence. That meant no more mailing in decline-to-purchase options and much better catalog searching. I signed up, and drowning myself in modern ECM albums was the first order of business.
I originally became familiar with the ECM label back in the early-mid 90s, when my jazz addiction was initially taking hold over both my ear and budget. But, back then, it was ECM’s releases during the 1970s that caught my attention, which for the most part was a beautiful array of what is now generally called World Jazz… a mix of mild avant-garde jazz and use of geographically diverse composition methods and instrumentation. Some of my early ECM favorites were Oregon‘s Crossing, Ralph Towner‘s Solstice, Codona‘s Codona 3, and Old & New Dreams self-titled album. All very earthy albums, with a heavy ethereal quality to them.
Around that same time, I was also becoming a bit familiar with ECM’s catalog from the 80s… mostly the work of Bill Frisell (fantastic) and Pat Metheny (guh). A lot of the ECM releases during that decade grew heavier on the ambient elements and also with the synthy electronic effects… sometimes to the recording’s benefit, sometimes not.
But as far as ECM releases from 1990 onward, I really didn’t have much of anything to go on. But that BMG music account, I took pretty good advantage of the deals, which allowed me to explore some albums on the cheap, and then expand outward from there for when I hit the brick & mortar music stores to buy more.
One of my first modern ECM purchases was Ketil Bjornstad‘s The Sea II. At the time, it really struck a chord with me (though, admittedly, my love for that album has waned considerably over time). I was really drawn to Bjornstad’s introspective sound on piano… the moodiness that whispered quietly, but possessed an inner turmoil. I found that combination terribly appealing. And it definitely fit in with my early mornings, when I like to wake slowly to the world, unhurried as the sun rising up over the horizon. So off I went to Reckless Records (Chicago, IL) to search down more from Bjornstad.
I’m going to talk about two Bjornstad albums. In a way, they act as bookends to my listening experience with Ketil’s music. Let’s begin…
*****
Ketil Bjornstad – The River
This was the first Bjornstad album I purchased following my introduction to his music, and it pretty much cemented my dedication to slowly picking up all of his music. In many ways, it became more instrumental than The River II in how I purchased not just his music, but went about choosing other ECM label albums. It’s an hour of serenity made solid, so that it can be played through speakers as dawn breaks.
Your album personnel: Ketil Bjornstad (piano) and David Darling (cello).
This was an easy decision to make when I saw this on the shelves at Reckless Records. I’m a big fan of cello in any music setting, and as I was looking for peaceful music to start my day, it’s a good instrument to have in the mix. Plus, Darling played cello on The River II, so I already knew that I liked how his sound paired up with Bjornstad’s piano.
Aside from the overt beauty of piano and cello making pretty sounds, it’s the underlying tension of this album’s music that sets it apart from other quiet pretty albums. Both Darling and Bjornstad share the responsibility of bringing a direful tone to some of the album tracks, as if the artists are suggesting it smart to stay wary, that all is not safe just because the music has a blissful ease. Counterbalanced against those tracks where notes sparkle like diamonds on a mountain lake, it breathes life into music that never threatens to induce sleep. Simply beautiful. An album for when the sun hasn’t yet shaken the sleep from its eyes, and the sky turns all types of reds and pinks and oranges and blues.
Released in 1996 on the ECM Records label.
Available at eMusic. Available at Amazon: CD
Ketil Bjornstad – Remembrance
Remembrance marks Bjornstad’s latest recording, as well as the last one that I’ve purchased. Aside from my intro to his music (via The Sea II), The River began my journey into Bjornstad’s discography and Remembrance (for the time being) my resting spot.
Remembrance brings more textures to the table, but is no less compelling for its quieter moments.
Your album personnel: Ketil Bjørnstad (piano), Tore Brunborg (tenor saxophone), and Jon Christensen (drums).
Whereas The River embodies the hypnotically casual rocking of waves on the water’s surface, Remembrance personifies the flight of seagulls as they skirt the waves and take off soaring up above. The addition of Brunborg’s sax gives this music all the lift it needs, buffeted by Chistensen’s elegant drum work, especially the tasteful placement of cymbal crashes. Worth noting that Christensen also performs on The Sea II.
And though the tempo and tone of this music resonates stronger, this is still music for those who prefer to wake at a more deliberate pace. Just as there are tracks when Brunborg’s sax gains elevation in leaps and bounds, while Bjornstad races along beside and Christensen stomps on clouds nearby, there are also album tracks that drift in place, making ripples that shift and expand at their leisure. There are moments of weighty melancholia and moments of heartbreaking lightness. It’s an album for when the sun is just over the horizon, and making its presence known.
Released in 2009 on the ECM Records label.
Available at eMusic. Available at Amazon: CD
*****
I’m sure I’ll find a way to sneak other Bjornstad album reviews onto the site. I’ll definitely be mentioning other albums that float my boat first thing in the morning.
-Cheers
Apr 10 2018
A rundown of some recent stuff from ECM Records
We really need to have a talk about ECM Records.
John Surman – Invisible Threads
I am convinced that John Surman lives somewhere the sun never quite breaches the horizon, where the soft glow of twilight forever hangs just tantalizingly out of darkness’s reach. Time and again, the saxophonist captures the magnetic tranquility of those moments between nighttime’s end and daybreak’s release… where the hush settled over the earth is accompanied by the anticipation of those sitting awake and waiting for the change into day. Surman’s latest is arguably his loveliest synthesis of those moments to date. Joined by pianist Nelson Ayres and vibraphonist Rob Waring, the saxophonist rolls out variations on peacefulness. Sometimes it possesses the vibrant ambiguity of dreams, sometimes it twitters with the pulsating light of a night full of stars, and then there’s those moments that sink into a simple melodic image and each of its facets, as if exploring the individual droplets of waves crashing the shore. This is one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard all year.
Learn more at ECM Records. Available at Amazon.
Bobo Stenson Trio – Contra La Indecisió
Look, I get the appeal of a Bobo Stenson recording, even if I don’t much feel it myself. There’s something to the way the pianist lulls you into drowsiness with the sparsest outline of melody and then slowly pulls back the shades to reveal the liveliness at the heart of the piece. For me personally, the atmosphere just gets too thick, and when a few fireworks are allowed to explode, the brilliance isn’t able to escape the gravitational pull of the torpor that came before. But I can see how that approach could develop a following. Hell, the dreariness of rain season can be oppressive without relinquishing its beauty. Stenson exists in that convergence. If kicking back on a peaceful evening and drifting off to the sounds of previous Stenson releases is something that rocks your world, you’re gonna enjoy adding his latest to your collection. Stenson is joined by double bassist Anders Jormin and drummer Jon Fält.
Learn more at ECM Records. Available at Amazon.
Andy Sheppard Quartet – Romaria
I’m liking this collaboration between Andy Sheppard and Eivind Aarset. Sheppard has a touch on saxophone that provides acute reminders that the beauty of the sunrise is countered by its potential to burn. So many of his works hints at a tranquility before surging up with a searing melodic heat. Guitarist Eivind Aarset is responsible for some of the most atmospheric music this side of an Arve Henriksen recording, and while he’s certainly capable of generating plenty of heat all his own, it tends to possesses an ethereal presence. Sheppard and Aarset meet each other half way, and how they temper one another’s tendencies toward either extreme really brings out their best qualities. There’s a consensual embrace of perspectives that allows the music on their latest to really settle in and breathe. That said, it would be a mistake to overlook the contributions of bassist Michel Benita and drummer Seb Rochford on this enjoyable recording. Both Benita and Rochford have a proven track record working with mediums where cinematic atmosphere and nuanced lyricism are best able to flourish, where melodies are adaptable to either drifting aimlessly or following a specific arc. The duo’s ongoing collaboration with Sheppard continues to pay dividends. I’ve always been partial to Sheppard’s work, but I’m really enjoying this divergence.
Learn more at ECM Records. Available at Amazon.
Shinya Fukumori Trio – For 2 Akis
This is one of those albums that starts out as a whisper… the rustle of drums, the sigh of saxophone, some raindrops on piano… and so strongly is it all woven together, that even when the temperature rises upward, the peacefulness of that opening whisper is the guiding force from first note to last. Much of this winning quality can be attributed to the gorgeous craftsmanship applied to the melodies, where clarity rings loud and clear with their introduction so that any amount of exploring where the melody might go never allows the memory of what it once was to fade. Drummer Shinya Fukumori, tenor saxophonist Matthieu Bordenave and pianist Walter Lang have put together a flawless performance on For 2 Akis. This is the kind of gem that marks the modern-era ECM Records catalog… where tranquility reigns supreme, even when the intensity ratchets up to levels that would not seem conducive to calming effects. Just a beautiful album. (Also, a very cool video to accompany it.)
Learn more at ECM Records. Available at Amazon.
Kit Downes – Obsidian
I’ve really got to give ECM Records credit for signing Kit Downes to put something down from his organ explorations. The pianist has been doing this organ-saxophone duo with Tom Challenger over the last handful of years, as well as his Tricko Tareco duo with cellist Lucy Railton. It’s really quite different, especially in the context of his other projects: Albums where Downes is the session leader, his contributions to The Golden Age of Steam, Threads Orchestra, Troyka, and as part of Thomas Strønen’s Time Is A Blind Guide ensemble. For this session, Downes hits up some churches in London and Suffolk and makes use of their organs and their acoustics for some dramatic effects. It’s all solo, except for one piece that Challenger sits in on. I go back and forth on this recording. I find it works best first thing in the morning, myself. In any event, I wanted to get a quick mention in about this recording. I think it’s pretty cool for ECM to be featuring one of the new generation on a project that doesn’t take a conventional path.
Learn more at ECM Records. Available at Amazon.
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By davesumner • Jazz Recommendations - 2017 releases • 1 • Tags: Andy Sheppard, Bobo Stenson, ECM Records, John Surman, Kit Downes, Shinya Fukumori, The Round-Up