I do love a modern big band (me). It takes me back to the swing music my father loved, but I love the way that a modern band can take those roots and stride forcefully into the present or even the future. It’s a great pity that last year saw the loss of Carla Bley (who also scored points for coming to Newcastle in the '90s) but we still have the mighty Maria Schneider and others such as Katherine Windfeld to carry the banner forward. I haven’t previously been aware of Sjöstedt in a big band setting before, though I have a Claire Martin album (Believin’ It) which has him and Fernqvist as part of her backing trio.
This is an absolutely belting collection. It didn’t really land the
first time I listened to it but, once I’d realised that the problem was more to
do with the volume I was playing it at, it started to grow. It’s a mix of Sjöstedt’s
own compositions and covers of tunes by Herbie Hancock, Charlie Parker, John
Coltrane and Abdullah Ibrahim. As with any good big band album it’s all about
the arrangements and dynamics. Sjöstedt has the band at different places in the
landscape, sometimes in full voice, as a dominant force, at other times
diminished to allow a soloist to stand out. He avoids the trap that some have
fallen into over the years of using the whole band for the occasional shout followed
by a series of, essentially quartets of rhythm section plus soloist; not a problem
for Sjöstedt on this album. On his own Horizon,
for example, as the music rises and falls, even in the quietest moments
there is a sense that the rest of the band are straining at the leash to come
back in.
And it’s a fun album as well. Take the version of Parker’s Donna Lee presented here. It keeps the
bounce and snap of the original and adds the power of the band to give it added
energy whilst staying true to the original. By way of contrast Ibrahim’s The Wedding is an elegant flowing
ballad; a late night celebration, lovely and uplifting.
In his notes Sjöstedt says that he aimed to provide a sense of personal involvement for everyone and to allow space for each individual’s unique personality and he has achieved that here. Anyone who appreciates a modern big band at its full voiced best will be spinning this on repeat. Dave Sayer
Available on Ubuntu Music via the usual sources,
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