KNUT RIISNAES QUARTET - 2nd Thoughts
Losen Records: LOS146-2
Knut Riisnaes; saxophone; Anders Aarum: piano; Jens Pssum: bass; Tom Olstad: drums.
Recorded at Sparkle Studios, Sofiemyr, October and December 2016.
This is a recording of two parts, both equally good, which offer an instructional corrective to those people who wish to lump ‘scandijazz’ into a simple sound. This is a mix of post-bop and Cool jazz played with such authority that you might need to check a couple of times who you listening to. The liner notes begin with the humorous warning ‘Spoiler alert! This is a JAZZ album - and it SWINGS!’ A studio set of six pieces and then two tracks recorded in Oslo’s ‘Herr Nilsen’ club. In the studio, the group has a West Coast vibe with a modern edge. Riisnaes favours a soft, almost breathy, tone and the rhythm play some staccato rhythms with a neat stop-start interplay. The Cool jazz tones gives warmth to Mulgrew Miller’s ‘2nd thoughts’ and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘She was too good for me’, but the group also have the strong syncopation of contemporary groups. This gives an interesting mix of musical styles that the group have blended seamlessly into their own dynamics. These two tracks showcase Riisnaes’ ability to ring maximum emotion out of ballads. In the original pieces, composed by Aarum, the playing swings and rattles along with some interesting changes of tempo and a strongly defined musical framework.
On the two live tracks, while this is clearly the same group, Riisnaes’ saxophone is a little deeper and the vibrato a little less present – but this doesn’t diminish the playing, particularly the beautiful ballad ‘Crazy she calls me’ which closes the set. As with the rest of the tunes here, Riisnaes plays eloquent variations on the main theme and builds his direct and precise solos with verve.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
Losen Records: LOS146-2
Knut Riisnaes; saxophone; Anders Aarum: piano; Jens Pssum: bass; Tom Olstad: drums.
Recorded at Sparkle Studios, Sofiemyr, October and December 2016.
This is a recording of two parts, both equally good, which offer an instructional corrective to those people who wish to lump ‘scandijazz’ into a simple sound. This is a mix of post-bop and Cool jazz played with such authority that you might need to check a couple of times who you listening to. The liner notes begin with the humorous warning ‘Spoiler alert! This is a JAZZ album - and it SWINGS!’ A studio set of six pieces and then two tracks recorded in Oslo’s ‘Herr Nilsen’ club. In the studio, the group has a West Coast vibe with a modern edge. Riisnaes favours a soft, almost breathy, tone and the rhythm play some staccato rhythms with a neat stop-start interplay. The Cool jazz tones gives warmth to Mulgrew Miller’s ‘2nd thoughts’ and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘She was too good for me’, but the group also have the strong syncopation of contemporary groups. This gives an interesting mix of musical styles that the group have blended seamlessly into their own dynamics. These two tracks showcase Riisnaes’ ability to ring maximum emotion out of ballads. In the original pieces, composed by Aarum, the playing swings and rattles along with some interesting changes of tempo and a strongly defined musical framework.
On the two live tracks, while this is clearly the same group, Riisnaes’ saxophone is a little deeper and the vibrato a little less present – but this doesn’t diminish the playing, particularly the beautiful ballad ‘Crazy she calls me’ which closes the set. As with the rest of the tunes here, Riisnaes plays eloquent variations on the main theme and builds his direct and precise solos with verve.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
