Jonas Westergaard Nonet: Helgoland

Modern Jazz / Indie Jazz
premiera polska: 2008-10-16
kontynent: Europa
kraj: Dania
opakowanie: digipackowe etui
opis:
multikulti.com
Jonas Westergaard, którego mieliśmy okazje gościć w Polsce na trasie koncertowej Soren Kjaergaard Trio w 2007 roku to kolejny muzyk z tzw. złotego pokolenia jazzowego w Danii.
Współpracując z m.in. Blake Tartare Michaela Blake'a, George'm Garzone, Anderskov Accident, Bandapart czy też John Tchicai/Oliver Lake/Kresten Osgood stał się jednym z najbardziej rozchwytywanych kontrabasistów w Skandynawii.
Nowa płyta, prezentująca własne kompozycje lidera ujawnia talent nie tylko wykonawczy Jonasa Westergaarda, jego kompozycje cechuje wielki respekt dla tradycji jazzowej, jednak nie ona jest tutaj bohaterem, do głosu dochodzi ciekawa koncepcja kompozytorska bliższa raczej konteplacyjności nagrań Jana Garbarka z lat 80tych niż nowobrzmieniowych mariaży młodszego pokolenia jazzmanów.

Gazeta Wyborcza 2009-01-15:
'...Basista Jonas Westergaard to jeden z najwybitniejszych przedstawicieli tzw. złotego pokolenia jazzowego Skandynawii i zarazem jeden z najbardziej rozchwytywanych kontrabasistów Europy. Nic dziwnego, bo oryginalny styl Westergaarda zachwycić może nawet najbardziej wymagających krytyków i miłośników jazzu. W Polsce artystę mieliśmy już okazję podziwiać w 2007 r. podczas trasy koncertowej zespołu pianisty Sorena Kjaergaarda, obecnego zresztą na tym nagraniu.
'Helgoland' to liryczna opowieść, której kolejne rozdziały Westergaard i jego dziewięcioosobowa kompania snują powolnie i z namaszczeniem.
W klasycznie jazzowych kompozycjach lidera zachwyca nie tylko spójność i przemyślana narracja, ale też barwne i oryginalne aranżacje. Skandynawski chłód, jazzowe skwar i piękno jednocześnie - fantastyczna muzyka...'
[Tomasz Handzlik]

Audio Video, 2008-11
'...Combo Jonasa Westergaarda, duńskiego basisty znanego choćby z nagrań i koncertów u boku obecnego i tu pianisty Sorena Kjaergaarda, proponuje nam muzykę spokojną, czerpiącą z jazzowej tradycji ale o niemal ilustracyjnym, pastelowym charakterze. Dwa pierwsze utwory ('Helgoland' i 'Dream') to powolne budowanie napięcia, przy czym ten drugi na dziwny, nieco po nowoorleańsku szalony charakter. Zwraca tu uwagę świetny, a zupełnie nieznany trębacz Kasper Tranberg. Środkowa część płyty jest najżywsza ale i tutaj muzyka raczej się snuje niż nabiera rozpędu, by w końcówce postawić na pastelowe ballady. Taka konstrukcja nie jest wadą tego nagrania - starannie zaaranżowane, miłe dla ucha piękno staje się atutem tej skupionej płyty...'


Editor's info:
'It is not easy to be in the slipstream of the many young Danish jazz bassists. However, Jonas Westergaard has found his own innovative and challenging place in music without turning his back on traditions.'
These were some of the words that accompanied the Danish Broadcasting Corporation's P2 Prize 2006, when it was awarded Jonas Westergaard (b. August 6, 1976) for his obvious talent and his consistent contributions to the jazz scene.
Westergaard's bass playing has long since found its way to improv as well as more traditional jazz audiences. His bass line began when he was 14, it wove its way through the Rhythmic Conservatory in Copenhagen, private tuition in New York with Mark Dresser among others, and into many bands and collaborations with a large number of Scandinavian and American musicians. His first sign of recognition came when the trio Fuchsia, of which he was a member, was elected Young Scandinavian Group of the Year. Westergaard's stay in New York (2001-2003) lead to collaborations with saxophonist Michael Blake in Blake Tartare, and with saxophonist George Garzone. In 2005-2006 Westergaard was based in Berlin. Other of his many activities include recordings and live performances with musicians and groups such as Soren Kjargaard, Bandapart, Anderskov Accident, John Tchicai/Oliver Lake/Kresten Osgood, and the trio WBZ with Jesper Zeuthen and Peter Bruun. His Scandinavian collaborations include Norwegian saxophonist Peter Wettre's groups and the Danish/Finnish band Delirium. Westergaard is of a generation of Danish jazz musicians who orientate themselves internationally and who with ease play music that crosses traditions and genre boundaries.
Part of the P2 Jazz Prize was a recording in one of the corporation's studios, and Jonas Westergaard returned the favor by leading a group playing original arrangements of his own material. The basic ensemble is a nine-piece band of handpicked musicians in an instrumentation providing the diverse textures, which are part of Westergaard's vision. The musicians have been chosen among people with whom Westergaard has worked in various groups - musicians with a personal means of expression and a personal sound.
Westergaard's music is sometimes fragile, subtle and translucent. It breathes in an intense but often quiet mood. It is certainly influenced by Ellington and Gil Evans. The stage is set with an inkling of minor and a melancholy flavor.
The title tune 'Helgoland' was originally written for a documentary on the Copenhagen ocean bath Helgoland. It has since been reworked and arranged for the nine-piece band and Jesper Zeuthen's lead alto sax.
Bassist Westergaard is the kind of musician that favors interplay in a band, and although he is the bandleader here, he is somewhat stingy with his own solos. However, in 'The Impossible Dream', a blues in E, his firm, deep bass finds its way to the forefront in a blues and gospel flavored mood right from the beginning of the bass introduction. By the way, Westergaard's early bass influences include Jimmy Blanton, Oscar Pettiford, Wilbur Ware, Butch Warren and Charles Mingus.
The creation of a piece of music is sometimes circumspect and difficult to trace. Although in a different form, the melodic material for 'One Over the Hill' was the basis for a previous Westergaard composition ('Kreuzer Valse'). Here it has been rearranged for the nine-piece band and dedicated to pianist and composer Andrew Hill. In this Hill tribute, Soren Kjargaard on Fender Rhodes and Jakob Bro on guitar display their fascination with Lennie Tristano-Billy Bauer, before Jakob Hoyer's lively drum solo paves the way for a walk back over the hill.
'Red River' is a classic ballad arranged for a septet with guitarist Jakob Bro in the leading role.
It is not far from the ballad to the introductory rubato of the long melody in '...And they'll take what you got', which eases into steady time as trumpeter Kasper Tranberg begins his solo.
A contrast to the broad brush strokes of the nine-piece and septet arrangements, 'Levitated' is a fragile, cloudy tune played by a clipped quartet with Bro's guitar and Kjargaard's celeste with the heavenly sound weaving melodic lines, and the open ending hanging like a question mark in midair.
Jonas Westergaard is not in a hurry on his bandleader and composer/arranger debut. The music is allowed to unfold in all its beauty and facets, and on the final track, 'Until It's Time' - another nine-piece arrangement - Jesper Zeuthen's alto sax once again cuts to the bone with its particular cry, soloing over an Ellington-inspired backdrop.
On 'Helgoland' Jonas Westergaard presents us with a beautiful collection of tunes and moods.



muzycy:
Peter Fuglsang - clarinet
Jesper Zeuthen - altsax
Niels Vincentz - tenorsax, flojte
Kasper Tranberg - trumpet, cornet
Mads Hyhne - trombone
Soren Kjargaard - piano, keyboard
Jakob Bro - guitar
Jonas Westergaard - bass
Jakob Hoyer - drums


utwory:
1. Helgoland
2. Dream
3. One Ovr the Hill
4. Red River
5. .... and They'll Take What You Got
6. Levitated
7. Until It' S Time

wydano: 01/04/2008
more info: www.sundance.dk