This second album from rising Norwegian saxophone star Marius
Neset show off all of the aspects of his playing and compositional styles which
have enabled his ascent in the European Jazz scene.
On all tracks, the angular melodies, long, flowing runs and
long, solo passages all flow smoothly frim under his fingers, whilst supported
by an expert rhythm section. Neset’s Tenor and Soprano playing here alludes to
his wide range of influences- from Michael Brecker to Stravinsky. The playing
is inventive and experimental in places, whilst retaining a style which harks
back to earlier players, providing a range of sounds and using repeated
passages overlapped with each other to create exciting soundscapes- as can be
seen from the immediately compelling title track Birds, which shows off all of the wide technical skills of Neset’s
playing and those of his quartet.
The album contains a good balance of more aggressive tracks
such as Boxing, and lighter, more
flowing numbers like Reprise.
The invention and originality of Neset’s playing seems to
leap out of the speakers and definitely compels you to listen to the album over
and over again.
8/
10
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