Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Peter Friis Nielsen, KALAS

Electric bassist Peter Friis Nielsen may not be very well-known here in the States but he has been an integral component of European and especially Scandanavian free avant jazz improv circles for many years. He steps out with his own trio on the lively EP KALAS (Barefoot Records CD/LP 030).

He looks to the younger generation in Norwegian drummer Håkon Berre and Danish saxophonist Lars Greve for this two-part, 34-minute program. All three get a head of steam going with some very edgy attacks that alternate with the more varied explorations of the dynamics of sound color available to them.

Maestro Neilsen gets leverage and torque in his punchy, wide-ranging electric bass contributions. You can listen to him alone and get something good out of it. Of course it's the trio as a whole however that needs your attention. Håkon Berre uses very creatively the full range of timbre and textures available to him in his percussion-drum array. And Lars Greve brings out the bombastic screech-wail sax tones to the max at times. Other times he is quietly probing in keeping with the trio sound of the moment.

This is not going to win many converts to avant garde improv-jazz I suspect, because it is not in the least bit compromising. But that is fine because it will satisfy those who respond to the edgy improv that has been developing in Europe over the years. On the other hand the electricity of Nielsen gives the music a push into the skronky avant rock zone that may gain the trio happy listeners from that genre as well.

Either way this is real-deal outness that keeps you listening and interested throughout. Grab a copy if you feel that this is for you!

No comments:

Post a Comment