Extended Circle

TORD GUSTAVSEN QUARTET: Extended Circle
ECM, 2014

MODERN JAZZ – Norwegian jazz, often hushed, sometimes soaring, with many references to hymns and spiritual tunes. Gustavsen’s tunes can be fragile as spider webs, full of ache and heartbreak, or warm and fuzzy, balancing Nordic soul with a serene detachment.

All interesting. Fo’s Picks: 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11

1. 2:55 – wintry trio shuffle (no sax), trudges through melancholy
2. 5:41 – somber melody contrasts w/quick, skittery beat, rises up on sax cry
3. 2:54 – free floating with silent spaces, high sax phrases, spindly piano
4. 6:22 – slow quiet trio, ballad-like and tender, but also cozy as a blanket
5. 4:54 – rolls calmly with bluesy sax, an easy song to fall into as it goes
6. 3:33 – delicate solo piano, hushed melody feels both old and modern
7. 2:50 – enigmatic: a different version of the freeform spaces from #3
8. 4:38 – very slow spiritual: just sax & piano at first, then aching quartet
9. 5:02 – the lightest piece on the album, graceful and almost catchy
10. 0:43 – solo bass interlude
11. 5:14 – a quiet, midnight march: sax adds a plaintive touch
12. 6:23 – soft trio, pads across an open landscape, expressive piano

[ Fo ] - 13 March 2014