Home » Jazz Articles » Extended Analysis » 1982: 1982: Pintura
1982: 1982: Pintura
1982Pintura
Hubro Music
2011
In a world where technology is becoming a bigger partner in everything, for better or worse, there are still some artists who strive for purity—at least within certain contexts. The trio that has come to be known as 1982, when it first came together for its self-titled 2010 NORCD debut, was absolutely resolute in its acoustic purity—so much so that when it performed a showcase set at the top of Mount Ulriken in Bergen, Norway as part of the 2010 JazzNorway in a Nutshell, the success or failure—in this case, an unconditional success—was literally dependent on which way the wind was blowing. With no PA system for assistance, 1982's show could have been a disaster; instead, playing for a group of about forty people, the trio's unique approach to spontaneous creation—combining serious lyricism, potent dramaturgy and the occasional taste of humor—ranged whisper-light to powerfully loud at the drop of a hat, and did it all without the benefit of any amplification.
If 1982's short set represented further honing of the music on its previously recorded debut, then Pintura exhibits further development still, as the trio delivers another eight untitled (and simply numbered) pieces that belie, at least to some extent, the individual backgrounds of its participants. An evocative violinist and one of his country's preeminent proponents of the sympathetic-stringed Hardanger fiddle,
Nils Okland
violin
Sigbjorn Apeland
keyboardsOyvind Skarbo
drumsb.1982
Thomas Dahl
guitarb.1973
If the emphasis remains largely acoustic on Pintura, a wall socket is, at the very least, required now for Apeland, who introduces the swirling Wurlitzer electric piano to "4." The album's second shortest track, supported by Skarb?'s minimal backbeat it signals a shift for 1982 as ?kland creates a droning backdrop over which Apeland incorporates Middle Eastern tonalities and more in an unexpectedly virtuosic but never superfluous performance.
The trio continues to prove its mettle at rubato tone poems so quiet that it's almost knee-jerk to start leaning forward into the music, even with headphones. Pintura demonstrates even greater out-of-the-ether compositional focus on the hymnal "2," where Apeland's reed organ-like harmonium meshes almost seamlessly with ?kland. That's not to say 1982 doesn't head for more outré territory, or that its players' ears haven't become even more finely attuned, as the lengthy "3" finds Apeland's trills moving with ?kland in marvellous simpatico, while Skarb?'s textural brushwork interacts with equal accord. Hints of ambient and minimalism imbue "5," while Apeland's near-relentless density on "6" and the entire trio's more reckless abandon on "7" give Pintura both narrative shape and broader stylistic diversity than its first disc.
For those who believe that free improvisation is nothing more than aimless meandering, self-centered expressionism and the worst of art for art's sake, groups like 1982 and albums like Pintura suggest otherwise. It may be necessary to dispense with certain preconceptions in order to let the music in, but deep listeners like ?kland, Apeland and Skarb? make it easy, in a brief, 35-minute set that moves from profound beauty to more challenging terrain, all within an overall arc that makes every moment meaningful, and even the more unapproachable segments completely relevant in the context of a greater whole.
Tracks: 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8.
Personnel: Nils ?kland: Hardanger fiddle, violin; Sigbj?rn Apeland: harmonium, Wurlitzer; ?yvind Skarb?: drums. ">
Track Listing
1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8.
Personnel
Nils ?kland: Hardanger fiddle, violin; Sigbj?rn Apeland: harmonium, Wurlitzer; ?yvind Skarb?: drums.
Album information
Title: 1982: Pintura | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Hubro Records
Tags
1982
Extended Analysis
John Kelman
Hubro Records
Nils ?kland
Sigbj?rn Apeland
?yvind Skarb?
Thomas Dahl
1982: Pintura
Comments
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make 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.
Buy Now
