Radius & Fred Lonberg Holm: Just outside the door (Hazeljazz)
Niels Overgård
Jan. 15,2015
Saxophonist Vidar Johansen and bassist Tine Asmundsen have played together in various projects since 1996, including concerts with Roscoe Mitchell and David Murray, and with drummer / percussionist Ståle Liavik-Solberg in the trio Radius. The album “Just outside the door” is this trio, augmented by cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm. Lonberg-Holm is from Chicago, where he is one of the leading musicians in the city’s strong experimental jazz scene. When he plays, it doesn’t occur to you that cello is a rarely seen in jazz.
This is jazz with a strong element of the experimental black jazz scene in the US in the 60s, where among other things Anthony Braxton was among the leading lights. Therefore, it is no wonder that they play Braxton’s composition 40 Q. Tine Asmundens strong bass playing is a good base for the musicians. She often takes authoritative control when the three other find themselves in and create their work in a free universe. Johansen flourishes both on tenor sax, bass clarinet, flute and piccolo. Lonberg-Holm’s cello playing is exciting, with colors from both classical music and jazz. Just outside the door is an interesting and original plate, which finds its own place in jazz’s broad scene.
Original Danish:
Saxofonisten Vidar Johansen og bassisten Tine Asmundsen har spillet sammen i forskellige projekter siden 1996, bl.a. med Roscoe Mitchell og David Murray. I trioen Radius er de sammen med trommeslageren/percussionisten Ståle Liavik Solbert. På det aktuelle album Just outside the door er trioen udvidet med cellisten Fred Lonberg-Holm. Han er fra Chicago hvor han er en af de fremtrædende musikere, på byens stærke eksperimenterende jazzscene. Når han spiller tænker man ikke over, at celloen er et meget sjældent instrument i jazzen.
Det er jazz med et stærkt islæt fra den eksperimenterende sorte jazzscene i USA i 60’erne, hvor bl.a. Anthony Braxton var er blandt forbillederne. Derfor er det heller ikke så underligt at de spiller Braxtons komposition 40 Q. Tine Asmundens stærke basspil er den gode base for musikerne. Hun tager ofte myndigt styringen, hvor de tre andre finder ind og skaber deres ting i et frit univers. Johansen blomstrer både på tenorsax, basklarinet, fløjte og piccolofløjte. Lonberg-Holms cellospil er spændende med farver fra både klassisk musik og jazz. Just outside the door er interessant og original plade, der finder sin egen plads på jazzens vidtfavnende scene.