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Vilhelm Bromander: In This Forever Unfolding Moment

By Chris May
September 15, 2023
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Vilhelm Bromander: In This Forever Unfolding Moment

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman's haunting "Lonely Woman" is becoming something of a 2023 soundtrack. At the time of writing, we have had memorable versions from

Kahil El'Zabar

drums
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble on Spirit Gatherer (Spirit Muse), and

Kurt Elling

vocals
b.1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Kurt Elling and

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Hunter on The Iridescent Spree (Edition), plus another couple of efforts about which the less said the better.

Here comes a third boss edition. Sort of. "L?t V?ra T?rar Bli V?ra Vapen," which opens side two of Vilhelm Bromander's arresting spiritual-jazz album, In This Forever Unfolding Moment, is described in the publicity material as bearing "whisps" of Coleman's tune. Some whisps. Bromander's harmolody is so close to Coleman's original that it would be an understatement to even call it a contrafact. It is a variation on Coleman's tune, and a subtle variation at that.

And it is delightful, as is the rest of the three-track album. A shot in the auricle for those of us who get off on

Pharoah Sanders

saxophone, tenor
1940 - 2022

" data-original-title="" title="">Pharoah Sanders,

Alice Coltrane

piano
1937 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Alice Coltrane,

Jon Hassell

trumpet
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Jon Hassell,

Don Cherry

trumpet
1936 - 1995

" data-original-title="" title="">Don Cherry, Hindustani classical music and

La Monte Young

composer / conductor

" data-original-title="" title="">La Monte Young's drone experiments.

Bromander has been a presence on the Swedish avant-jazz and free improv scene since the mid 2010s. In This Forever Unfolding Moment is his first venture into spiritual jazz. He has clearly made a close study of the American canon but brings a Scandinavian frisson to the affair. The thirteen-piece ensemble includes six horns, two drummers and dhrupad singer Marianne Svase?k, who, accompanied only by Bromander on tanpura, provides a six-minute overture to the seventeen-minute opening title-track, which includes a borderline-chromatic trumpet solo from

Emil Strandberg

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Emil Strandberg. Chromaticism does not feature much in spiritual jazz, thank goodness, but Strandberg brings a nice tartness and does not overstay his welcome.

Bromander makes effective through-composition use of the ensemble on "In This Forever Unfolding Moment" and "L?t V?ra T?rar Bli V?ra Vapen." By contrast, for the third and final track, "Blommor Och Br?d," Bromander narrows the focus down to himself on acoustic bass, vibraphonist

Mattias Ståhl

vibraphone
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Mattias St?hl, violinist

Katt Hernandez

violin

" data-original-title="" title="">Katt Hernandez, pianist

Alex Zethson

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Alex Zethson and bass clarinetist

Christer Bothen

clarinet, bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Christer Bothen.

If there is a criticism to be made of this album it is only that at 33 minutes it is too short.

P.S. Another interesting, if more esoteric, Bromander album is Within Reach Of Eventuality (Thanatosis, 2022), recorded with alto saxophonist

David Bennet

saxophone, alto
b.1990

" data-original-title="" title="">David Bennet. The four-part suite is a drone-like exploration of tones and textures. Minority interest, but we like minorities.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

In This Forever Unfolding Moment; L?t V?ra T?rar Bli V?ra Vapen; Blommor Och Br?d.

Personnel

Vilhelm Bromander

bass, acoustic

Katt Hernandez

violin

Martin Kuchen

saxophone

Elin Forkelid

saxophone, tenor

Alberto Pinton

saxophone, baritone

Christer Bothen

clarinet, bass

Emil Strandberg

trumpet

Mats Aleklint

trombone

Alex Zethson

piano

Mattias St?hl

vibraphone

Dennis Egberth

drums

Anton Jonsson

drums

Marianne Sva?ek

vocals

Additional Instrumentation

Vilhelm Bromander: double bass, tanpura; Martin Kuchen: alto and sopranino saxophones.

Album information

Title: In This Forever Unfolding Moment | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Thanatosis Produktion

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