Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Friends & Neighbors: Circles

Friends & Neighbors: Circles

By John Sharpe
May 26, 2024
View read count

Even some 60 years after its birth, the free jazz of the American New Thing remains a fertile source of inspiration in 2024. On its sixth album, Circles, Norwegian quintet Friends & Neighbors continues to find rich avenues to explore in its updated repurposing of the naked expressionism of the 1960's avant-garde. An unchanged line up comprises some of the most in-demand players on the European scene in saxophonist

Andre Roligheten

saxophone
b.1985

" data-original-title="" title="">Andre Roligheten (

Gard Nilssen

drums
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Gard Nilssen's Acoustic Unity and Supersonic Orchestra), trumpeter

Thomas Johansson

trumpet
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Thomas Johansson (

Paal Nilssen-Love

drums
b.1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Paal Nilssen-Love's Circus, Cortex), pianist

Oscar Grönberg

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Oscar Gr?nberg (Trondheim Jazz Orchestra), bassist

Jon Rune Strøm

bass, acoustic
b.1985

" data-original-title="" title="">Jon Rune Str?m (

Frode Gjerstad

saxophone, alto
b.1948

" data-original-title="" title="">Frode Gjerstad, All Included) and drummer

Tollef Ostvang

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Tollef Ostvang (

Trevor Watts

saxophone
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Trevor Watts,

Joe McPhee

woodwinds
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe McPhee).

Everyone contributes charts, resulting in a diversity of routes taken, while remaining true to the band's concept. Among the cuts paying the most explicit homage is ?stvang's "Ghost March," which summons the spirit of

Albert Ayler

saxophone, tenor
1936 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Albert Ayler, with a bright ascending melodic line over a roiling bass and drum axis, and the slightly woozy "Hymn Infinitum," which recalls a

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus ballad.

Although titled "Cecil," the opener does not channel the presumed dedicatee, pianist

Cecil Taylor

piano
1929 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Cecil Taylor, except in its energy. It does however showcase another of the unit's strengths in the way the thoughtful arrangement sets up varied spaces for each of the horn soloists. Roligheten's tenor wails like

Archie Shepp

saxophone, tenor
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Archie Shepp atop an angular rhythm section, while Johansson's trumpet whimpers and spits in the company of a spacious rubato.

While both ?stvang and Str?m avail themselves of the freedom from timekeeping that accrued during the 1960s, they manage the transitions in and out of vamps peerlessly. They invest the title cut with a soulful relaxed lope, which buoys up an anthemic horn unison and instigates a mercurial tenor and bass duet. Here and throughout, Gr?nberg's contributions intersect wonderfully with saxophone and trumpet, achieving a happy marriage of comping and commentary.

One of the high points amid an already elevated program, the bassist's "Son" both begins and ends with him in tandem with Roligheten's alternately tender and squalling tenor. A central segment in which a choppy piano trio takes on a Latin feel launches Johansson's finest feature, replete with a series of upper register moans. Typically, the final "Latin Phonetics" offers a swinging flagwaver, adorned by punchy unisons with a celebratory tinge and bravura spots for trumpet and saxophone. If there was a bar anywhere in the vicinity then Roligheten would undoubtedly be walking it.

With the customary blend of inventive compositions, accomplished playing and fine interaction, Friends & Neighbors delivers everything one might want from an adventurous jazz combo. And how!

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Cecil; Circles; Ghost March; Son; Charles; Hymn Infinitum; Latin Phonetics.

Personnel

Friends & Neighbors

band / ensemble / orchestra

Andre Roligheten

saxophone

Thomas Johansson

trumpet

Oscar Gr?nberg

piano

Jon Rune Str?m

bass, acoustic

Tollef ?stvang

drums

Album information

Title: Circles | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Clean Feed

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Mike Stern, Jeff Ray, Alex Milella, ...
< Previous

Matt Wilson, Kerry Politzer & Christ...
Next >

Friends & Neighbors Concerts

Dec 3 Wed

Friends & Neighbors

Solar Myth
Philadelphia, PA

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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.