My jazz recommendations for 2023 appear below in no particular order.
Jan Harbeck Quartet,
Balanced. One jazz recording that I
overlooked in 2022 is Jan Harbeck Quartet’s
Balanced, which wasn’t released
until late November of that year. Unlike previous recordings by Harbeck, where
he plays standards like “Harlem Nocturne” or “I Love Paris,” this new album
contains original music written by Harbeck and, with the exception of the
opening track, “Balanced,” the album creates a dominant mood that conjures late
nights in an urban jazz club. A fan of his music since 2011, I look forward to hearing upcoming albums by the Jan
Harbeck Quartet.
Eriksen Quartet,
As Good As It Gets. This new album
reflects the close working relationship that the Espen Eriksen Trio and Andy Sheppard
have established from having created two previous albums--
Perfectly Unhappy and
In the Mountains. The interplay between
saxophone and piano is particularly strong on the tracks “Sticks and Stones,” “Pressure,”
and “Drifting Clouds.” The entire album has gotten a lot of airplay in my house
and car.
Helge Lien Trio, with Tore Brunborg,
Funeral Dance. With
this album, Helge Lien has included Tore Brunborg on saxophone. Although Tore Brunborg has composed some of
the tracks, the entire album has more of an atmospheric feel, in that the
saxophone, instead of engaging in gymnastics, aids in creating a dominant mood. There are still individual tracks worthy
of attention, such as “Apres Un Reve,” “Riss,” and “Kaldanuten.”
Soren Bebe Trio,
Here Now. Contemplative, reflective,
introspective, comforting—these adjectives describe much of Soren Bebe’s most
recent album containing his trio, the first album of theirs to be released since
Echoes
(2019). My wife says she can imagine herself sitting outside watching the sunset
while listening to this album. Although I would prefer much longer tracks
because many of them are four minutes or less, I still find pleasure in such tracks as
“Here Now,” “Tangeri,” "Winter," “Folksy (To Jan),” “Summer,” and “On and On.”
Matthew Halsall,
An Ever Changing View. Finding inspiration
in nature, in sculpture, and in the cityscape in Manchester, Matthew Halsall
has created music that brings together the percussion pieces that he has
collected over the years. Although there are many memorable tracks, one in
particular that I like is titled “Calder Shapes.” It’s Gavin Barras’ bass that
originally caught my attention. For a full appreciation of the album, I
recommend listening to Matthew Halsall’s three-part podcast, which is available
at YouTube (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpql41trSHs&t=37s&ab_channel=GondwanaRecords).
