Erik Svela Bits & Pieces
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several ways. Svela takes the first solo with a bluesy display display bluesy a with solo first the takes Svela ways. several sometimes intricate cornering, it’s a statement of intent in in intent of statement a it’s cornering, intricate sometimes saxophone phrase on the fade-out. the on phrase saxophone with guitar and saxophone partnering one another through through another one partnering saxophone and guitar with a soulfully uplifting effect as exemplified by the repeated repeated the by exemplified as effect uplifting soulfully a The title track opens the album. A smartly executed melody melody executed smartly A album. the opens track title The on the latter, a ballad that starts out melancholic but has has but melancholic out starts that ballad a latter, the on superb note choices. Edge is both assertive and vulnerable vulnerable and assertive both is Edge choices. note superb rising progression are just two examples. two just are progression rising responds on the former with lovely tonal variations and and variations tonal lovely with former the on responds End of Days’ of End and statement initial turning and twisting that invite his colleagues to express themselves and Yahel Yahel and themselves express to colleagues his invite that Us (On) Shame In Awe Of Awe In n/a ’s follows that bridge stone-like stepping are another two of Svela’s compositions compositions Svela’s of two another are and his fellow musicians clearly love extemporising over. The The over. extemporising love clearly musicians fellow his knack of creating chord changes and arrangements that that arrangements and changes chord creating of knack crisp coda. crisp He has a terrific ear for melody and he has developed the the developed has he and melody for ear terrific a has He choruses before soloing concisely and driving towards the the towards driving and concisely soloing before choruses from Edge between Svela and Yahel’s quick-thinking quick-thinking Yahel’s and Svela between Edge from might turn out to be new standards. standards. new be to out turn might along authoritatively and elicits a muscular improvisation improvisation muscular a elicits and authoritatively along guitarist has, whether by collision or decision, created what what created decision, or collision by whether has, guitarist melody. Having set the tempo, Sandbakken kicks the group group the kicks Sandbakken tempo, the set Having melody. are Svela originals and it often seems to this listener that the the that listener this to seems often it and originals Svela are saxophone style would have suited its tangling, searching searching tangling, its suited have would style saxophone New Arm Rash Arm New There Will Never Be Another You. The other seven tracks tracks seven other The You. Another Be Never Will There is an anagram of Warne Marsh, whose tenor tenor whose Marsh, Warne of anagram an is written over an existing chord sequence, in this case that of of that case this in sequence, chord existing an over written that noticed have already might enthusiasts Crossword New Arm Rash Arm New , is a contrafact, a new melody melody new a contrafact, a is , another, and I’ll Be Seeing You Seeing Be I’ll , is a standard standard a is , one, here, tracks nine the Of soulful solo. soulful particularly a out pulls and support organ understated the leaders didn’t always have new original material to play. to material original new have always didn’t leaders the its mood of regretful nostalgia over Yahel’s superbly superbly Yahel’s over nostalgia regretful of mood its that time studio available short such with and intervals You, features just guitar, organ and drums. Svela articulates articulates Svela drums. and organ guitar, just features You, End of Days of End of necessity because records were made at such regular regular such at made were records because necessity of , as with I’ll Be Seeing Seeing Be I’ll with as , and “on”, bracketed standards that all the musicians would know. This was was This know. would musicians the all that standards is dedicated to saxophonist Seamas Blake, hence the the hence Blake, Seamas saxophonist to dedicated is Shame (On) Us (On) Shame Very often on these sessions, the tunes called out were were out called tunes the sessions, these on often Very , with its spunky, rhythmical guitar intro, intro, guitar rhythmical spunky, its with , Blue Note and Prestige recordings of the 1960s. 1960s. the of recordings Prestige and Note Blue the late, great Tubby Hayes. Hayes. Tubby great late, the for - and to add to - the music that came out of the great great the of out came that music the - to add to and - for Englishman, fellow his unlike not sounding Edge and their playing and support allow Svela to emphasise his love love his emphasise to Svela allow support and playing their reprising the melody before going back for more, as it were, were, it as more, for back going before melody the reprising Sandbakken all have their own voices and approaches but but approaches and voices own their have all Sandbakken Yahel, Edge and Svela all solo lucidly, with the organist organist the with lucidly, solo all Svela and Edge Yahel, Dave Edge and Norwegian drummer Tore Thorvaldsen Thorvaldsen Tore drummer Norwegian and Edge Dave familiar. Buoyed by Sandbakken’s light, springy drumming, drumming, springy light, Sandbakken’s by Buoyed familiar. I’ll Be Seeing You, features just guitar, organ and aforementioned unhealthy obsession with New York Received wisdom has it that Nordic jazz is essentially cool, the knack of creating chord changes and arrangements that I’ll Be Seeing You, features just guitar, organ and aforementioned unhealthy obsession with New York Received wisdom has it that Nordic jazz is essentially cool, the knack of creating chord changes and arrangements that saxophonist English Yahel, Sam organist Hammond born reflecting the climate, and atmospheric, reflecting the fjords his fellow musicians clearly love extemporising over. The drums. Svela articulatesimmediately its mood of regretfulalmost nostalgiafeel that guitarists morphs intonumbers full-on admirationnew up for an Indianan, conjure to reflecting the climate, and atmospheric, reflecting the fjords his fellow musicians clearly love extemporising over. The drums. Svela articulates its mood of regretful nostalgia guitarists morphs into full-on admiration for an Indianan, Next Time I See You See I Time Next commitment to the American jazz tradition. Louisiana- tradition. jazz American the to commitment and the landscape. stepping stone-like bridge that follows Shame (On) Us’s overability Yahel’s superblySvela’s understated of organ support andexample fine Wes a Montgomery. is Like George Benson before him, Svela and the landscape. stepping stone-like bridge that follows Shame (On) Us’s over Yahel’s superbly understated organ support and Wes Montgomery. Like George Benson before him, Svela twisting and turning initial statement and End of Days’ pulls out a particularly soulful solo. knows the potency of Wes’ octave double stopping style Eirik Berg Svela’s music is certainly cool, although it twisting and turning initial statement and End of Days’ pulls out a particularly soulful solo. knows the potency of Wes’ octave double stopping style Eirik Berg Svela’s music is certainly cool, although it takes its cue from a coast thousands of miles from Norway. rising progression are just two examples. Crossword enthusiasts might already have noticed that and its potential for injecting urgency into guitar phrases takes itshis cue from a coast thousandsconfirms of miles fromhere Norway. fronts risinghe progression are justquartet two examples. international The Crossword enthusiasts might already have noticed that and its potential for injecting urgency into guitar phrases Indeed, in the promo for another, home-based quartet, The title track Bits & Pieces opens the album. A smartly New Arm Rash is an anagram of Warne Marsh, whose and he signs off with possibly the strongest solo of the Indeed, in the promo for another, home-based quartet, The title track Bits & Pieces opens the album. A smartly New Arm Rash is an anagram of Warne Marsh, whose and he signs off with possibly the strongest solo of the Svela admits to having an unhealthy obsession with New executed melody with guitar and saxophone partnering tenor saxophone style would haveexperience. suited its tangling, listening set,the althoughto it does have quite a freshness lot of competition.brings result Svela admits to having an unhealthy obsession with New executed melody with guitar and saxophone partnering tenor saxophone style would have suited its tangling, set, although it does have quite a lot of competition. to having an unhealthy obsession with New York guitarists. guitarists. York New with one anotherobsession through sometimes intricateunhealthy cornering,an it’s having to searching melody. Having set the tempo, Sandbakken York guitarists. one another through sometimes intricate cornering, it’s the searchingand melody. Having set the tempo, programming Sandbakken as well as order soloing rotating to York guitarists. Rob Adams May 2018 Rob Adams May 2018 a statement of intent in several ways. Svela takes the first kicks the group along authoritatively and elicits a The international quartet he fronts here confirms his a statement of intent in several ways. Svela takes the first kicks the group along authoritatively and elicits a The international quartet he fronts here confirms his in the promo for another, home-based quartet, Svela admits admits