Thursday, 4 April 2013

Søren Gemmer: At first (ILK)



Debut albums like this are so very welcome! Piano player, Søren Gemmer, has recorded an album with guitar player, Per Møllehøj, drummer, Andreas Fryland and Finish bass player Tapani Toivanen.

It is the music and the piano of Søren Gemmer which are at the center. When that is said, I must add that guitar player, Per Møllehøj, plays an important part.

It is ten strong compositions with room enough for both the obvious and the hidden. A melody like Shostakovich is a fine example.

Fryland opens up the track with soft-spoken brushes. Møllehøj enters and plays the melody. Underneath Gemmer’s piano is floating until it arrives at the melody. Once again Møllehøj comes in, this time with a sharp guitar which lifts the whole composition. Gemmer regains power and once again it floats and slowly it starts to dissolve. Toivanens’ bass creates the bridges in the tune.

Søren Gemmer plays in good form and with surprisingly maturity. The music has a nice, melodic flow.

You find a melancholia which you know from late romantic and modern classical composers. I must say I’m pretty surprised that a talent of this size is sneaking around at the edge of the Danish jazz scene. The 29 year old piano player finished Rhythmic Music Conservatory only a few years back.

I hope we get to hear a lot more from this man and he may very well use the same musicians. Møllehøj is exceptional impressive and Fryland: once again he shows that he is something very special.

Review: Niels Overgård. Translation: DSI Swinging Europe.

No comments:

Post a Comment