FABEL – Fabel
Jaeger Community Music
Jakob Sorensen: trumpet; Kasper Staub: piano; Jens Mikkel: double bass
Recorded Finland Studio April 2016.
At first you don’t notice the lack of drums in this set-up. The way that the instruments present a theme and develop the rhythm, with rolling piano or syncopated bass, draws you into the intimacy of their musical world.
Sorensen’s trumpet playing has a delicacy and lightness of touch that bridges classical music and West Coast jazz, and his warm phrasing really brings each piece to life. No wonder he was DPA’s New Danish Jazzartist in 2017. The compositions have the directness of folk songs, and the liner notes say that Fabel are influenced by north European folk music – as well as the melodies of Jan Johansson and the pop songs of Paul Simon. There is, in terms of the latter, something of his way of blending different musical styles into a seamless whole, that the trio also has. I like the way that their chamber music sound is continually being pulled into other musical avenues, particularly through the solid bass playing that is gently insistent and coaxing the music into unusual metres. Each piece has almost a parallel life, with a theme played by the trumpet and another theme played by the piano – while not at odds with each other, they stand as two parts of a conversation, and the role of the bass seems to be to knit them together.
Each piece has a sense of the film-score, and the band helpfully provide a series of wonderful videos (produced by Andre Hansen) on their www.fabeltrio.dk website. Watching the videos, on a cold, dark Autumn evening has brought out interesting aspects of each piece. Each video develops the theme of the tune (or each tune develops the theme of each video) in a compelling and convincing manner. However, you don’t need to watch the videos to enjoy the cinematic experience of these finely made tunes.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
Jaeger Community Music
Jakob Sorensen: trumpet; Kasper Staub: piano; Jens Mikkel: double bass
Recorded Finland Studio April 2016.
At first you don’t notice the lack of drums in this set-up. The way that the instruments present a theme and develop the rhythm, with rolling piano or syncopated bass, draws you into the intimacy of their musical world.
Sorensen’s trumpet playing has a delicacy and lightness of touch that bridges classical music and West Coast jazz, and his warm phrasing really brings each piece to life. No wonder he was DPA’s New Danish Jazzartist in 2017. The compositions have the directness of folk songs, and the liner notes say that Fabel are influenced by north European folk music – as well as the melodies of Jan Johansson and the pop songs of Paul Simon. There is, in terms of the latter, something of his way of blending different musical styles into a seamless whole, that the trio also has. I like the way that their chamber music sound is continually being pulled into other musical avenues, particularly through the solid bass playing that is gently insistent and coaxing the music into unusual metres. Each piece has almost a parallel life, with a theme played by the trumpet and another theme played by the piano – while not at odds with each other, they stand as two parts of a conversation, and the role of the bass seems to be to knit them together.
Each piece has a sense of the film-score, and the band helpfully provide a series of wonderful videos (produced by Andre Hansen) on their www.fabeltrio.dk website. Watching the videos, on a cold, dark Autumn evening has brought out interesting aspects of each piece. Each video develops the theme of the tune (or each tune develops the theme of each video) in a compelling and convincing manner. However, you don’t need to watch the videos to enjoy the cinematic experience of these finely made tunes.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
