Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Lyder Øvreås Røed: The Moon Doesn't Drink

7

Lyder Øvreås Røed: The Moon Doesn't Drink

By

Sign in to view read count
Lyder Øvreås Røed: The Moon Doesn't Drink
A promising own-name debut from the Norwegian trumpeter, Lyder Øvreås Røed's The Moon Doesn't Drink has both feet planted in analogue-era jazz yet sounds wholly modern. Røed's melodic, intimate style and burnished tone may be reminiscent of pre-electric Miles Davis, but if this album comes across, at times, a bit like Davis' Kind Of Blue (CBS, 1959), it sounds more like natural vibe than conscious retro.

Røed shares the frontline with tenor saxophonist Hanna Paulsberg, whose spiritual-jazz infused Daughter Of The Sun (Odin) was among the most enjoyable acoustic-jazz albums out of Norway in 2018. The quintet is completed by pianist Eyolf Dale, bassist Steiner Raknes and drummer Tore Ljøkelsøy, who can be heard alongside Røed on Slow Is The New Fast's Slow (AMP, 2018).

Ever since Jan Garbarek put Norwegian jazz on the map, and even more so after the international success of his rigorously ascetic beyond-jazz Officium (ECM, 1994), the genre has acquired a reputation for being, at best, emotionally reserved, at worst, chillingly buttoned-down. More recently, with the emergence of a generation of Norwegian musicians aligned with the electronica movement, the country's jazz has, justly or unjustly, grown parallel reputations for being obsessed with technology and for being excessively self-referential.

The Moon Doesn't Drink, like Paulsberg's Daughter Of The Sun, gives the lie to these stereotypes. The first three tracks bounce along cheerfully. The fourth, "Cool Berry," hits the same spot as "Freddie Freeloader" on Kind Of Blue. The more lonesome "The Room Next Door" follows, then the springlike "Chrysanthemums And Crocuses" and seasonally evocative "Summer" and "Autumn." All the tunes are originals and the two horns' imaginatively interwoven theme statements add to their appeal. More, please.

Track Listing

The Moon Doesn’t Drink; I Don’t Usually Dance; Why Are All These People Here?; Cool Berry; The Room Next Door; Chrysanthemums And Crocuses; Summer; Autumn.

Personnel

Lyder Øvreås Røed: trumpet, flugelhorn; Hanna Paulsberg: tenor saxophone; Eyolf Dale: piano; Steinar Raknes: double bass; Tore Ljøkelsøy: drums.

Album information

Title: The Moon Doesn't Drink | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Jazzland Recordings

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.