Tír Na HiFi

Two great New Orleans trumpeters back to back.
For the glorious evening that's in it :-)
Mark

The trumpet player not the bass player.

10 CD set.

Just the one vinyl disc ;)

Go Go Penguin

I’ve been listening spellbound to the new Hedvig Mollestad album, Ekhidna, over the past few nights. Over and over and over again. This is undoubtedly her best work yet. It’s her most jazz-influenced work yet and I believe this freedom has liberated her and unleashed something genuinely astonishing, something wildly creative within her. Shades of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, Terrie Rypdal, Tomasz Stanko, Art Ensemble of Chicago and Pangea-era Miles swirl together in this wildly life-affirming and deeply intoxicating music. It’s easy to say that this is the release of the year.

For the first time, Hedvig leaves behind the trio format in favour of a more open-ended exploratory sextet. The surprising (and perhaps most radical) omission is the lack of a bassist. Ellen Brekken has been the cornerstone of The Trio since its inception and it is surprising that she is absent. But Hedvig is exploring new sonic palettes and new dynamics here. Two keyboardists and two drummers and a sole trumpeter are her companions here. The keyboardists play what appear to be vintage sounding organs and electric pianos. Their presence reminds me strongly of Joe Zawinul’s and Chick Corea’s contributions to Miles’s bands and I also think of Miles’s own organ interjections on Agharta and Pangea. The addition of a second drummer widens the rhythmic dynamic considerably and they are a constant presence, continually challenging and nudging and provoking their fellow musicians. I hear in these two drummers the spirits of Ronald Shannon Jackson (who truly ignited Peter Brotzmann, Sonny Sharrock and Bill Laswell in Last Exit) and Don Moye (a crucial part of the Art Ensemble of Chicago). I hear in the trumpeter the influences of Tomasz Stanko and Lester Bowie. All of these musicians provoke Hedvig to produce her best, her most inspired, her most daring work to date. I hear her great influences, John McLaughlin and Terje Rypdal, but I also hear the shadow of Sonny Sharrock and Pete Cosey. And, I believe, those latter two influences would not have surfaced without this radical change in her sonic landscape. She sounds utterly liberated and unfettered in this music and, believe me, that is a joyous thing to behold. It is no accident that the cover art departs from the usual monochrome photographs of previous Hedvig albums and boldly smears a Technicolour wash across Hedvig’s face. Blinded by the light, indeed.

This album might well be the trigger for ECM to sign Hedvig which will introduce her to new audiences but also, crucially, see her working alongside the musicians on the ECM roster. But the one musician above all others I would dearly love to see her working with one day is Mary Halvorson. Honestly, I don’t see two better guitarists working today and, when you consider their relative youth, that makes me very excited for the future.

I see, like me, you're totally smitten with Hedvig's new opus. Great review and everything spot on. ECM should have her in their roster. No excuses. How about adding Raoul Bjorkenheim to that duo.....with no bass lol! I was actually in contact with her only last week would you believe. A really lovely positive person. She was apologising profusely for not having the time to answer all emails especially now with another BIG commission looming on the horizon. Something to look forward to. Anyway thanks for making my day :)

The new album is astonishing, Dermot. There’s no other word to describe it. The last few albums have been consistently excellent but have seen Hedvig continually refining the trio sound rather than make any great leaps forward. This album is that great leap forward. I can’t overstate just what a profound effect it has had on me. I just can’t stop listening to it. Such physical and emotional music. The really exciting touchstone reference for me were the echoes of Pangea-era Miles with Pete Cosey that permeated the music. How the dual keyboardists and drummers really insinuated themselves on the music as equal partners and what that challenging musical context provoked out of Hedvig. The new sounds and textures and tones and phrasings and tonal colourings which haven’t been realised so completely until now. It is an incredible achievement, one which makes you so very glad to be alive in the here and now - to immerse yourself in this wonderful life-affirming music over and over and over again.

This reviewer gets it absolutely right: “this guitarist is touched by genius”.

https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2020/06/19/he ... d-ekhidna/

It’s really nice to hear that your direct contact with Hedvig was such a positive one, Dermot. I think that this artist/fan relationship is something that will be developed in a very positive way in the years to come as artists find a way to make a living in these altered times.

That BIG commission of Hedvig’s should be be very interesting. I believe that it was a commission that provoked the music on Ekhidna. Fresh ideas, tear up the rule book, and keep pushing forward to reach her “Goal’s beyond” to recall John McLaughlin.

Of course, there’s no reason why Hedvig couldn’t remain with Rune Grammofon and perform with Scandinavian artists whilst signing with ECM and performing with American artists. I remember Keith Jarrett holding down separate contracts in the Seventies with Impulse! (which recorded his American band - Dewey Redman, Charlie Hamden and Paul Motian) and ECM (which recorded his European band - Jan Garbarek, Palle Danielsson and Jon Cristensen).

mcq wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 11:06 pm The new album is astonishing, Dermot. There’s no other word to describe it. The last few albums have been consistently excellent but have seen Hedvig continually refining the trio sound rather than make any great leaps forward. This album is that great leap forward. I can’t overstate just what a profound effect it has had on me. I just can’t stop listening to it. Such physical and emotional music. The really exciting touchstone reference for me were the echoes of Pangea-era Miles with Pete Cosey that permeated the music. How the dual keyboardists and drummers really insinuated themselves on the music as equal partners and what that challenging musical context provoked out of Hedvig. The new sounds and textures and tones and phrasings and tonal colourings which haven’t been realised so completely until now. It is an incredible achievement, one which makes you so very glad to be alive in the here and now - to immerse yourself in this wonderful life-affirming music over and over and over again.

This reviewer gets it absolutely right: “this guitarist is touched by genius”.

https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2020/06/19/he ... d-ekhidna/

It’s really nice to hear that your direct contact with Hedvig was such a positive one, Dermot. I think that this artist/fan relationship is something that will be developed in a very positive way in the years to come as artists find a way to make a living in these altered times.

That BIG commission of Hedvig’s should be be very interesting. I believe that it was a commission that provoked the music on Ekhidna. Fresh ideas, tear up the rule book, and keep pushing forward to reach her “Goal’s beyond” to recall John McLaughlin.

Of course, there’s no reason why Hedvig couldn’t remain with Rune Grammofon and perform with Scandinavian artists whilst signing with ECM and performing with American artists. I remember Keith Jarrett holding down separate contracts in the Seventies with Impulse! (which recorded his American band - Dewey Redman, Charlie Hamden and Paul Motian) and ECM (which recorded his European band - Jan Garbarek, Palle Danielsson and Jon Cristensen).

Yes, you're right, the reviewer gets it just so.

Paul you're following statement gets it right too!

".....one which makes you so very glad to be alive in the here and now - to immerse yourself in this wonderful life-affirming music over and over and over again."

"Goal's Beyond" indeed.......