HENRIK JENSEN’S FOLLOWED BY THIRTEEN - Affinity
Babel: BDV19157
Henrik Jensen: double bass; Esben Tjalve: piano; Rory Simmons: trumpet, flugelhorn; Pete Ibbetson: drums
Recorded April 19th 2019 by Nick Taylor at Porcupine Studios
Jensen is a bass player who delights in the richness of his instrument and continues to create complex compositions that push himself and his quartet. The tunes on this set have the intimacy and immediacy that made ‘Blackwater’ so appealing. But the tunes also have a complexity that surely comes from many months of travelling and playing together, so that the whip-sharp turns in tempo and mood introduced by one player are instantaneously followed by the others. This gives the playing the vibrancy of an improvised set. And yet, Jensen’s compositions have a gently unfolding logic to them, like well crafted poems that carry a depth of emotion and nuggets of wisdom. This is especially apparent in a track like ‘Gentle Giant’ (composed in honour of pianist Paolo Losi), which has two or three distinct rhythms running alongside each other, with the bass taking its lead from the ostinato piano introduction and giving a mournful loping stride beneath trumpet lines before itself taking a short, elegiac solo. As on their previous outings, Tjalve and Simmons make full use of the opportunities the compositions provide to showcase their considerable talents (in particular, Tjalve’s contemplate soloing on ‘The Belsham Palm’, track 3, and Simmons delightful trumpet playing on ‘Villa Helene’, track 6, are well worth checking out). At times their exuberant soloing threatens to eclipse Jensen, but he remains unperturbed and proudly, defiantly swings behind them.
The cover art was created by Aurelie Freoua during a solo gig by Jensen at London’s Vortex club. It is a delightful piece that not only works as a painting in its own right but also conveys some of the layers in Jensen’s compositions. In both the painting and the music, there is, on the surface, brightly attractive patterns that are instantly comprehended. There is also something in the painting and the music that hints at something from, say the 1950s or 1960s, but is directly and totally contemporary. But at deeper and deeper layers, the patterns develop and repeat, like repeating patterns in fractal geometry. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why this set has already repaid many repeated listens and why I am sure that it will continue to delight with new discoveries.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
Babel: BDV19157
Henrik Jensen: double bass; Esben Tjalve: piano; Rory Simmons: trumpet, flugelhorn; Pete Ibbetson: drums
Recorded April 19th 2019 by Nick Taylor at Porcupine Studios
Jensen is a bass player who delights in the richness of his instrument and continues to create complex compositions that push himself and his quartet. The tunes on this set have the intimacy and immediacy that made ‘Blackwater’ so appealing. But the tunes also have a complexity that surely comes from many months of travelling and playing together, so that the whip-sharp turns in tempo and mood introduced by one player are instantaneously followed by the others. This gives the playing the vibrancy of an improvised set. And yet, Jensen’s compositions have a gently unfolding logic to them, like well crafted poems that carry a depth of emotion and nuggets of wisdom. This is especially apparent in a track like ‘Gentle Giant’ (composed in honour of pianist Paolo Losi), which has two or three distinct rhythms running alongside each other, with the bass taking its lead from the ostinato piano introduction and giving a mournful loping stride beneath trumpet lines before itself taking a short, elegiac solo. As on their previous outings, Tjalve and Simmons make full use of the opportunities the compositions provide to showcase their considerable talents (in particular, Tjalve’s contemplate soloing on ‘The Belsham Palm’, track 3, and Simmons delightful trumpet playing on ‘Villa Helene’, track 6, are well worth checking out). At times their exuberant soloing threatens to eclipse Jensen, but he remains unperturbed and proudly, defiantly swings behind them.
The cover art was created by Aurelie Freoua during a solo gig by Jensen at London’s Vortex club. It is a delightful piece that not only works as a painting in its own right but also conveys some of the layers in Jensen’s compositions. In both the painting and the music, there is, on the surface, brightly attractive patterns that are instantly comprehended. There is also something in the painting and the music that hints at something from, say the 1950s or 1960s, but is directly and totally contemporary. But at deeper and deeper layers, the patterns develop and repeat, like repeating patterns in fractal geometry. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why this set has already repaid many repeated listens and why I am sure that it will continue to delight with new discoveries.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
