MARILYN MAZUR'S FUTURE SONG - Live Reflections
Stunt Records STUCD20082
Marilyn Mazur (percussion); Nils Petter Molvær (trumpet); Hans Ulrik (saxophone); Makiko Hirabayashi (keyboards); Eivind Aarset (guitar, electronics); Klavs Hovman (bass); Audun Kleive (drums); Tone Aase (voice, electronics); Aina Kemanis (voice); Elvira Plenar (keyboards); Krister Jonsson (guitar)
Recorded Copenhagen Jazzhouse 16 February 2015; Stormen Koncerthus, Bodø Jazz Open 22 January 2015; Molde Jazz festival July 2008; Sun Studio 1990
Danish percussionist Marilyn Mazur has an impressive resume, having played with artists such as Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Palle Mikkelborg, Wayne Shorter and Jan Garbarek. In 1989, shortly after finishing her second stint with Miles’ band, she formed the band Future Song with a group of musicians that included trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær and her husband, bassist Klavs Hovman.
This is a hybrid album, consisting of live recordings made between 2008 and 2015, plus a studio outtake from the band’s debut album sessions. Despite this pick-and-mix arrangement, the overall sound is coherent, and that is largely because the band was very stable in terms of its line-up, despite its multinational nature – members came from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Croatia and the US. The band toured and recorded for ten years, before breaking up due to increasing conflicting commitments. But Future Song reformed for a series of concerts celebrating Mazur’s 60th birthday in 2015.
The opening number, ‘Gong-Pri’ has a dream-like opening, with Molvær blowing long, spacious lines on open trumpet, laced with echo and reverb, accompanied by Mazur’s delicate percussive taps. The sound is wide, open and cool, like an Arctic wind blowing over a glacial landscape. Midway through the piece, wordless, ghost-like vocals drift over a percussive backdrop, which are joined by some sparse guitar lines. One can imagine the audience being entranced by the sound. ‘Subway Groove’ is aptly titled, with a great groove that includes a staccato synth riff, slap bass, screaming guitar and furious percussion. It’s a gritty, edgy number that reminds me of the music John McLaughlin’s reformed Mahavishnu Orchestra was playing in the mid-1980s.
‘Dreamfog Mountain’ has wordless vocals floating above a light, delicate mix of piano, trumpet, synthesiser and percussion, and sounds divine. ‘The Dreamcatcher’ is a ballad which starts with a short solo piano, and features wordless vocals, and more sumptuous trumpet playing from Molvær. Mazur as ever, is happy to remain in the background, adding her tones, colours and textures to the overall sound.
‘The Holey’ is a 12-minute suite-like number that starts with breathy, wordless vocals that sound slightly disturbing as they build in intensity and reverberate across the soundscape. A second vocalist joins in the background and Mazur’s accompanying percussion sounds like a funeral march. The track morphs into slow, churning number, with a funk bass riff, blasts of explosive percussion and slinky lines on a synth. Hovman sets up as powerful bass groove, as Molvær and Ulrik blow hard on trumpet and sax respectively. The energy increases again, with Mazur’s hard, pounding percussion and climaxes with a blizzard of searing guitar lines. It’s an exciting finish and little wonder that someone in the audience whoops at the end (for most of the numbers, the audience’s reaction has been edited out).
‘Reflections’ – a midtempo number - is a previously unissued studio recording, with a catchy bass vamp, wordless vocals, busy percussion, and fine piano and trumpet solos. The horn and vocals double up on the melody at the coda. The mysterious-sounding ‘Love Eruption’ is a little over a minute in length and is a showcase for Mazur’s percussion playing. Mazur creates a collage of sounds over an electronic soundscape that increases in intensity.
The piece segues into the next number, ‘First Dream’ (the third tune to feature ‘dream’ in its title), which starts with a quiet, sweeping electronic soundscape, before Mazur’s conga drums join in, followed by wordless vocals. There’s some exciting percussion playing around the 2.40 mark, as Mazur energetically pounds an assortment of instruments. A long and winding keyboard solo is underpinned by a funk bass riff and hard, percussive playing – this is no peaceful dream, at least not until the end, when a slowly cascading keyboard riff brings the song to its conclusion.
The closing number is a ballad called ‘Vinterstykke’ (‘Winter Piece’) and showcases the soprano sax playing of Hans Ulrik, who plays gracefully and expressively, accompanied by subtle electronic sounds, and percussion that is played with such delicacy, one can imagine that Mazur could strike an egg and not break the shell. It’s a lovely, peaceful ending to the album. Future Song was a first-rate band and this album nicely documents this. My only complaint is that the nine songs run for less than hour, and I hope more material from the live performances is released in the future (the 2015 concerts were recorded and filmed). In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the music of this superb jazz ensemble.
Reviewed by George Cole
Stunt Records STUCD20082
Marilyn Mazur (percussion); Nils Petter Molvær (trumpet); Hans Ulrik (saxophone); Makiko Hirabayashi (keyboards); Eivind Aarset (guitar, electronics); Klavs Hovman (bass); Audun Kleive (drums); Tone Aase (voice, electronics); Aina Kemanis (voice); Elvira Plenar (keyboards); Krister Jonsson (guitar)
Recorded Copenhagen Jazzhouse 16 February 2015; Stormen Koncerthus, Bodø Jazz Open 22 January 2015; Molde Jazz festival July 2008; Sun Studio 1990
Danish percussionist Marilyn Mazur has an impressive resume, having played with artists such as Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Palle Mikkelborg, Wayne Shorter and Jan Garbarek. In 1989, shortly after finishing her second stint with Miles’ band, she formed the band Future Song with a group of musicians that included trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær and her husband, bassist Klavs Hovman.
This is a hybrid album, consisting of live recordings made between 2008 and 2015, plus a studio outtake from the band’s debut album sessions. Despite this pick-and-mix arrangement, the overall sound is coherent, and that is largely because the band was very stable in terms of its line-up, despite its multinational nature – members came from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Croatia and the US. The band toured and recorded for ten years, before breaking up due to increasing conflicting commitments. But Future Song reformed for a series of concerts celebrating Mazur’s 60th birthday in 2015.
The opening number, ‘Gong-Pri’ has a dream-like opening, with Molvær blowing long, spacious lines on open trumpet, laced with echo and reverb, accompanied by Mazur’s delicate percussive taps. The sound is wide, open and cool, like an Arctic wind blowing over a glacial landscape. Midway through the piece, wordless, ghost-like vocals drift over a percussive backdrop, which are joined by some sparse guitar lines. One can imagine the audience being entranced by the sound. ‘Subway Groove’ is aptly titled, with a great groove that includes a staccato synth riff, slap bass, screaming guitar and furious percussion. It’s a gritty, edgy number that reminds me of the music John McLaughlin’s reformed Mahavishnu Orchestra was playing in the mid-1980s.
‘Dreamfog Mountain’ has wordless vocals floating above a light, delicate mix of piano, trumpet, synthesiser and percussion, and sounds divine. ‘The Dreamcatcher’ is a ballad which starts with a short solo piano, and features wordless vocals, and more sumptuous trumpet playing from Molvær. Mazur as ever, is happy to remain in the background, adding her tones, colours and textures to the overall sound.
‘The Holey’ is a 12-minute suite-like number that starts with breathy, wordless vocals that sound slightly disturbing as they build in intensity and reverberate across the soundscape. A second vocalist joins in the background and Mazur’s accompanying percussion sounds like a funeral march. The track morphs into slow, churning number, with a funk bass riff, blasts of explosive percussion and slinky lines on a synth. Hovman sets up as powerful bass groove, as Molvær and Ulrik blow hard on trumpet and sax respectively. The energy increases again, with Mazur’s hard, pounding percussion and climaxes with a blizzard of searing guitar lines. It’s an exciting finish and little wonder that someone in the audience whoops at the end (for most of the numbers, the audience’s reaction has been edited out).
‘Reflections’ – a midtempo number - is a previously unissued studio recording, with a catchy bass vamp, wordless vocals, busy percussion, and fine piano and trumpet solos. The horn and vocals double up on the melody at the coda. The mysterious-sounding ‘Love Eruption’ is a little over a minute in length and is a showcase for Mazur’s percussion playing. Mazur creates a collage of sounds over an electronic soundscape that increases in intensity.
The piece segues into the next number, ‘First Dream’ (the third tune to feature ‘dream’ in its title), which starts with a quiet, sweeping electronic soundscape, before Mazur’s conga drums join in, followed by wordless vocals. There’s some exciting percussion playing around the 2.40 mark, as Mazur energetically pounds an assortment of instruments. A long and winding keyboard solo is underpinned by a funk bass riff and hard, percussive playing – this is no peaceful dream, at least not until the end, when a slowly cascading keyboard riff brings the song to its conclusion.
The closing number is a ballad called ‘Vinterstykke’ (‘Winter Piece’) and showcases the soprano sax playing of Hans Ulrik, who plays gracefully and expressively, accompanied by subtle electronic sounds, and percussion that is played with such delicacy, one can imagine that Mazur could strike an egg and not break the shell. It’s a lovely, peaceful ending to the album. Future Song was a first-rate band and this album nicely documents this. My only complaint is that the nine songs run for less than hour, and I hope more material from the live performances is released in the future (the 2015 concerts were recorded and filmed). In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the music of this superb jazz ensemble.
Reviewed by George Cole
