Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Alex Koo: Appleblueseagreen

3

Alex Koo: Appleblueseagreen

By

Sign in to view read count
Alex Koo: Appleblueseagreen
The Belgian/Japanese pianist/composer Alex Koo enlisted a pair of first call allstars, saxophonist Mark Turner and trumpeter Ralph Alessi, forming an acoustic chamber trio that brings his vision to life on Appleblueseagreen. The title is taken from the literal translation of the Flemish word "appelblauwzeegroen," to describe a color of ambiguous personality. The music is cinematic, with the first three tunes, "enuD," "Dune" and "Funeral March," giving off a vibe of deep, ruminative sadness, like a soundtrack to the aftermath of a tragedy, the calm after an apocalypse.

Koo plays piano, keys and drums. His guests, saxophonist Turner and trumpeter Alessi, enter the scene on the disc's third offering, "Funeral March," painting a haunted landscape, a chilly fog clinging to the ground, the trees bereft of leaves. "Ghost Parade" retains the mood, conjuring images of translucent figures drifting just above the cold earth.

Taken as a whole, the music's mood flows in a fluid, ECM Records, chamber jazz mode, with an otherworldly quality, though "Etude No. 1: Mirror, Mirror on The Wall," a piano solo, prances, and the brief "Bodily Fluid" features brash horn work. "Etude No. 3" is a delicately rendered, classical-sounding piece, with Koo's supple touch on full display. The title tune searches the color spectrum and, like much of the set, mixes in a dozen shades of grey, before brighter hues are introduced on the set's closer, the majestic "Freedom Pilot," closing out a fine debut.

Track Listing

enuD; Dune; Funeral March; Ghost Parade; Etude No. 1 Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall; Dormilon; Bodily Fluids; Etude No. 2 The Gaze; The Lone Wanderer; Etude No. 3; Apples Are Blue But the Sea Is Green; Freedom Pilot.

Personnel

Alex Koo
piano

Alex Koo: piano; Mark Turner: saxophone; Ralph Alessi: trumpet.

Album information

Title: Appleblueseagreen | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Clever Tree Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.