INGRID JENSEN/STEVE TRESELER - Invisible Sounds
Whirlwind WR4729
Ingrid Jensen - trumpet; Steve Treseler - tenor sax, clarinets; Geoffrey Keezer - piano; Martin Wind - bass; Jon Wikan - drums; Katie Jacobson - voice
Christine Jensen - soprano sax
So ubiquitous is the influence of the late great Kenny Wheeler on jazz, and a particularly European strain of cloudy, ambient jazz in particular, that the reviewer might be forgiven a certain reticence in approaching another album dedicated unambiguously to his legacy. Fortunately Jensen and Treseler have taken a spirited, robust approach to the master’s output; ‘Foxy Trot’ has the expected shimmeringly ambivalent introduction but soon takes off into a pacy, almost boisterous arrangement, the soloists driven on by Wind and Wikan to deliver some storming statements. Wheeler left a remarkable canon of compositions; Treseler notes that ‘sometimes players approach it quite delicately, not getting the energy and power, but with this rhythm section we weren’t risking being too precious’ and the results generally bear out this self assessment.
‘Kind Folk’ captures some of the essence of his ‘touch of melancholy, touch of chaos’ persona via Jensen’s soaring trumpet. Keezer steps up to the mark to take on the John Taylor role in ‘Where Do We Go From Here’, which also showcases Tresler’s buttery smooth tone. ‘Old Time’ recorded live, has a joyous, almost New Orleans energy that might surprise and should delight - Keezer excels again in a fluid, high-velocity dialogue with Jensen. ‘546’ and ‘Gentle Piece’ have wordless vocal recapturing the sound of the Norma Winstone collaborations, the former featuring outstanding solos from Keezer and Treseler as it develops from static blocks of harmony into a fast waltz, the latter encapsulating the elliptical, spacious feeling that Wheeler brought to the music. An outstanding tribute to one of the greats of jazz, of any era.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Whirlwind WR4729
Ingrid Jensen - trumpet; Steve Treseler - tenor sax, clarinets; Geoffrey Keezer - piano; Martin Wind - bass; Jon Wikan - drums; Katie Jacobson - voice
Christine Jensen - soprano sax
So ubiquitous is the influence of the late great Kenny Wheeler on jazz, and a particularly European strain of cloudy, ambient jazz in particular, that the reviewer might be forgiven a certain reticence in approaching another album dedicated unambiguously to his legacy. Fortunately Jensen and Treseler have taken a spirited, robust approach to the master’s output; ‘Foxy Trot’ has the expected shimmeringly ambivalent introduction but soon takes off into a pacy, almost boisterous arrangement, the soloists driven on by Wind and Wikan to deliver some storming statements. Wheeler left a remarkable canon of compositions; Treseler notes that ‘sometimes players approach it quite delicately, not getting the energy and power, but with this rhythm section we weren’t risking being too precious’ and the results generally bear out this self assessment.
‘Kind Folk’ captures some of the essence of his ‘touch of melancholy, touch of chaos’ persona via Jensen’s soaring trumpet. Keezer steps up to the mark to take on the John Taylor role in ‘Where Do We Go From Here’, which also showcases Tresler’s buttery smooth tone. ‘Old Time’ recorded live, has a joyous, almost New Orleans energy that might surprise and should delight - Keezer excels again in a fluid, high-velocity dialogue with Jensen. ‘546’ and ‘Gentle Piece’ have wordless vocal recapturing the sound of the Norma Winstone collaborations, the former featuring outstanding solos from Keezer and Treseler as it develops from static blocks of harmony into a fast waltz, the latter encapsulating the elliptical, spacious feeling that Wheeler brought to the music. An outstanding tribute to one of the greats of jazz, of any era.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
