Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Sj?en: Live I

Sj?en: Live I

By Eyal Hareuveni
May 1, 2014
View read count

Sjøen

" data-original-title="" title="">Sj?en (sea in Norwegian) is a new, Norwegian-Swedish quintet with a debut that was recorded during their first-ever concert, at the Energim?lla club in Kongsberg, Norway, in April 2013. Obviously, it would not have been possible without the promising, young musicians that band leader and violinist H?kon Aase gathered. Each of them also play in other young bands that released debut albums within the last year. Saxophonist

Harald Lassen

" data-original-title="" title="">Harald Lassen plays in modern jazz bands Mopti and

Pixel

" data-original-title="" title="">Pixel, pianist John Lindvall plays in the band Ronja, bassist Bj?rnar Kaldefoss Tveite in the folk-jazz trio Hullyboo and drummer Axel Skalstad is in the improvising-power trio Krokofant.

This quintet draws inspiration from European contemporary music, Indian classical music and Nordic jazz but leaves enough room for personal, improvised contributions. The five pieces were composed by Aase and Lassen. The first and longest one, "3a—Earn and Burn," revolves around a driving, repetitive rhythmic theme that enables Aase and Lassen, then later Lindvall, to enrich it with a series of melodic, serpentine interplay, adding a folksy Far-Eastern lyrical touch to an infectious pulse. "Aases Reinkarnasjon" intensifies the atmosphere with a reserved, melancholic Scandinavian feel, articulated beautifully by Aase's singing violin and Lassen's saxophone contemplations.

This quintet is not tied to one specific aesthetic. The upbeat "Boulevard" employs the powerful rhythm section in a manner that challenges other players to answer with a rare, muscular series of improvisations until Tveite's double bass solo concludes the piece and introduces the closing, chaotic blues of "Baklengsland," featuring the quintet enjoying the playful, soulful improvisations on catchy scales.

Aase promises that Live I is the first chapter in a series of live quintet recordings. With these resourceful, inventive musicians there are many seas that Sj?en can explore.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

3a - Earn and Burn; Femmila; Aases Reinkarnasjon; Boulevard; Baklengsland.

Personnel

Sj?en

Harald Lassen: saxophone; H?kon Aase: violin; Johan Lindvall: piano; Bj?rnar Kaldefoss Tveite: double bass; Axel Skalstad: drums.

Album information

Title: Live I | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Havtorn Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Vocals
< Previous

Dream House
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.