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Angles 9: Disappeared Behind the Sun
ByOriginally a sextet, the core group has changed little since its Clean Feed debut Every Woman is a Tree (2008). Original drummer Kjell Nordeson was replaced by Andreas Werliin in 2013 and trumpeter Magnus Broo missed the live By Way of Deception (2012) but returned on Injuries. Trombonist Mats Äleklint, Mattias Ståhl on vibraphone and bassist Johan Berthling, all original members were joined by Alexander Zethson on piano, Goran Kajfes on cornet and baritone saxophonist Eirik Hegdal, as the group expanded.
Küchen's plaintive solo wailing finds release in Werliin's snare as the two push "Equality & Death (Mothers, Fathers, Where Are Ye?)" from harrowing to what could be a celebration of somethingor someonefound. The aggressive beat, harmonizing with a pulsating melody sets the stage for Zethson's repetitive piano and a responsive Broo solo on "Ådror." "Pacemaker" has that unique Angles 9 characteristic of blending a New Orleans feel with loopy free improvisation. Here, as on "Ådror," Ståhl's vibraphone lends a gentle quality that neither dominates nor shies away front the horn-dominated front line. The eleven-plus minute title track is a tour de force of shifting sensations. Broo and Zethson shine together as do Werliin and Ståhl in their own space before Berthling's bass and Hegdal's baritone drop the piece into a frenzied swirl. "Love, Flee Thy House (In Breslau)" closes the album somewhere between melancholy and despair; fitting as Breslau was a Nazi occupied citynow named Wrocław and located in Poland.
From their beginnings, Angles/Angles 9 have traded in complex narratives, stories that need to be told but often take a back seat to superficial concerns. Mixing sadness and unbridled joy, the group continues to make music that matters. Just as important, it isand has long beensome of the most compelling improvised jazz coming out of Sweden or anywhere else. Disappeared Behind the Sun will certainly end up on some "best of" lists.
Track Listing
Equality & Death (Mothers, Fathers, Where Are Ye?); Ådror; Pacemaker; Disappeared Behind The Sun; Love, Flee Thy House (In Breslau).
Personnel
Alexander Zethson: piano; Mattias Ståhl: vibraphone; Magnus Broo: trumpet; Goran Kajfes: cornet; Mats Äleklint: trombone; Eirik Hegdal: baritone saxophone; Johan Berthling: double bass; Andreas Werliin: drums; Martin Küchen: alto saxophones, tenor saxophones.
Album information
Title: Disappeared Behind the Sun | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Clean Feed Records