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Wako
«Eternal life, perfect order»
Ear Phonogram
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Schemes
«Embrace»
Jazzland
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Wako and Schemes are two quartets with the familiar lineup of saxophone, piano, bass and drums. They don’t push the limits of the format’s possibilities, but show that it can still sound refreshing and seductive.
We have followed Wako through six albums now, because as this column’s founder Roald Helgheim wrote about the debut album “The Good Story” in 2015: “What a wonderful music I think”. Martin Myhre Olsen (saxophone), Bárður Reinert Poulsen (bass), Simon Olderskog Albertsen (drums) and Kjetil A. Mulelid (piano) are back on familiar ground.
Poulsen is behind the beautiful ballad “Folk”, which kicks off the album. The following “Drifting” is by Mulelid, and has more of his catchy melodic characteristics. Most of the rest of the music is composed by Martin Myhre Olsen, and shows Wako’s great range. In “Amerika” he plays extra lively on the saxophone, perhaps as a nod to old role models “over there”? I don’t know if “Victoria” is a tribute to the club that houses the Nasjonal Jazzscene, but it in any case contains Wako’s many good sides, where relatively short songs make room for both languishing atmospheres and playing in a more free style.
Read Aloud: Richard Hawley in the opera on Sunday: A Norwegian friend returns (+)
The new group Schemes, like Wako, comes from the famous jazz line at NTNU in Trondheim. For all I know Wako could be their role models. They operate in the same musical area, as strong challengers to their predecessors. I also don’t know if “For KM” is a tribute to Kjetil Mulelid. In any case, Schemes has the same sense for pretty melodies with beautiful sounds, and also doesn’t go out of their way to really let loose during the songs, with an extra portion of youthful energy. Here (almost) anything can happen!
Schemes consists of Brede Sørum (saxophone), Oliver Skou-Due (piano), Bendik Løland Lundsvoll (bass) and the ubiquitous Veslemøy Narvesen (drums). The group made it to the final of the Young Jazz Musicians of the Year 2024, without going all the way to the top, but as they sound on this debut album, the competition must have been very good.
Schemes will play at Kampenjazz on Sunday 24 November
Read also: The weekend’s new songs: Susanne Sundfør goes on a pilgrimage and Synne Sørgjerd has been kind (+)
