Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Linus + ?kland/Van Heertum/Zach: Light As Never

Linus + ?kland/Van Heertum/Zach: Light As Never

By Mark Sullivan
August 19, 2022
View read count

Linus + Økland/Van Heertum/Zach: Light As Never

Belgian duo Linus—

Ruben Machtelinckx

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Ruben Machtelinckx, guitar and banjo;

" data-original-title="" title="">Thomas Jillings, saxophone and clarinet—have been recording with additional musicians for several years. This grouping is the largest they have gathered together and revisits the one from the album Mono No Aware (Aspen Edities, 2017). It is rich instrumentation, expanded by Machtelinckx's additional baritone guitar, Jillings' synthesizer and

Niels Van Heertum

euphonium

" data-original-title="" title="">Niels Van Heertum's trumpet (along with his usual euphonium).

Nils Økland

violin

" data-original-title="" title="">Nils ?kland sticks with Hardanger fiddle and

Ingar Zach

percussion

" data-original-title="" title="">Ingar Zach again provides percussion.

The program's balance has shifted back towards group improvisation, with only two individually composed pieces. "Playful" opens the album with a brief rhythmic idea interrupted by fiddle and synthesizer. "Ostinato" is an aptly titled Jillings composition. Machtelinckx's guitar provides the ostinato pattern (along with atmospheric percussion), while fiddle and saxophone play a slow melody over the top. The title tune is by Machtelinckx, and definitely sounds composed, with moving harmonies and a striking melody. The generally gentle group sound builds to a striking crescendo before settling down to a calm conclusion.

"Affirms Nothing" is all atmosphere: bell-like percussion, synthesizer drones, high fiddle and gentle guitar harmonies. "Conway" is the longest improvisation (and the longest track on the album), and it opens with a nervous, jagged rhythm that supports long-note saxophone and fiddle lines. Eventually, ?kland emerges with a solo, followed by Van Heertum's euphonium. "First Notes" starts out as a guitar/fiddle duo, joined by alto clarinet, then euphonium, building into a collective conversation. "Echo" closes the album in a reflective mood, anchored by baritone guitar. It is an appropriate ending to this mostly improvisational outing, equal parts chamber jazz and New Music. The ensemble has developed a distinctive sound, one that values the contributions of all of the players over soloists: even the percussion is more about texture than timekeeping.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Playful; Ostinato; Light As Never; Affirms Nothing; Conway; First Notes; Echo.

Personnel

Ruben Machtelinckx

guitar

Thomas Jillings

woodwinds

Nils ?kland

violin

Niels Van Heertum

euphonium

Ingar Zach

percussion

Additional Instrumentation

Ruben Machtelinckx: guitar, baritone guitar, banjo; Thomas Jillings: tenor saxophone, alto clarinet, synthesizer; Nils ?kland: hardanger fiddle; Niels Van Heertum: euphonium, trumpet; Ingar Zach: percussion.

Album information

Title: Light As Never | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Aspen Edities

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Take Five with Bryan S. Wright
< Previous

New music from Lo Greco Bros, Bass E...
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.

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.