FRODE KJEKSTAD - In Essence
Losen: LOS233-2
Frode Kjekstad: guitar; Forde Berg: bass; Magnus Sefaniassen Eide: drums.
Recorded 1st October 2019 by Havard Caspersen ‘on location’ at Rud vgs, Sandvika, Norway.
I like the fact that the liner notes tell us that Kjekstad plays a 1974 Gibson Johnny Smith, and that the output from this is split, by a Boss Reverb pedal, to a Fender Deluxe and a Polytone Minibrute IV. It is not necessary to know what any of this means to appreciate that here is a guitarist who knows, and loves his kit, and here is a guitarist who is absolutely certain on the sound that he wants to create. On this set, the clarity and richness of the guitar tone stands out. What is more, the solos (no matter how frenetic) have no sign of hesitancy or repetition but a stream-of-consciousness flow that can take your breath away. In contrast to players who might fall back on loop pedals or other effects, here is a guitarist who plays clean and always hits the notes. The set draws from the music that Kjekstad has composed over the years. As he says in the liner notes, ‘I have a lot of unused tunes lying around, some of them are 20-25 years old, still waiting to be played and recorded.’ During the time when the pieces were written, Kjekstad has had a busy life in big bands and supporting singers or horn players. What he brings is a sensitivity to the chord sequences of that period of jazz history when there was a shift from the charts of the Big Bands to the subtleties of smaller bop units. The sound, from the melodies to the interplay between the trio, feels as if it could have come from decades ago but, in reality, in timeless, due in no small part to modern recording technology and the way in which Caspersen has captured such depth of sound in the music. Each piece has a live feel and to make guitar music this good you need to have a sympathetic and talented rhythm section, and there is an infectious enthusiasm in the playing of bass and drums here that lifts the music to even greater heights.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
Losen: LOS233-2
Frode Kjekstad: guitar; Forde Berg: bass; Magnus Sefaniassen Eide: drums.
Recorded 1st October 2019 by Havard Caspersen ‘on location’ at Rud vgs, Sandvika, Norway.
I like the fact that the liner notes tell us that Kjekstad plays a 1974 Gibson Johnny Smith, and that the output from this is split, by a Boss Reverb pedal, to a Fender Deluxe and a Polytone Minibrute IV. It is not necessary to know what any of this means to appreciate that here is a guitarist who knows, and loves his kit, and here is a guitarist who is absolutely certain on the sound that he wants to create. On this set, the clarity and richness of the guitar tone stands out. What is more, the solos (no matter how frenetic) have no sign of hesitancy or repetition but a stream-of-consciousness flow that can take your breath away. In contrast to players who might fall back on loop pedals or other effects, here is a guitarist who plays clean and always hits the notes. The set draws from the music that Kjekstad has composed over the years. As he says in the liner notes, ‘I have a lot of unused tunes lying around, some of them are 20-25 years old, still waiting to be played and recorded.’ During the time when the pieces were written, Kjekstad has had a busy life in big bands and supporting singers or horn players. What he brings is a sensitivity to the chord sequences of that period of jazz history when there was a shift from the charts of the Big Bands to the subtleties of smaller bop units. The sound, from the melodies to the interplay between the trio, feels as if it could have come from decades ago but, in reality, in timeless, due in no small part to modern recording technology and the way in which Caspersen has captured such depth of sound in the music. Each piece has a live feel and to make guitar music this good you need to have a sympathetic and talented rhythm section, and there is an infectious enthusiasm in the playing of bass and drums here that lifts the music to even greater heights.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
