Kjell Jansson Quartet - Zonk (2002)

“Zonk” is Kjell Jansson’s fourth album as leader, and consists of nine original compositions and Vernon Duke’s "I Can’t Get Started." It was recorded August, 2002 in concert at the Gerlesborg School of Fine Arts. The music is cleanly articulated but not without spontaneity or passion, and Jansson and his mates comprise a talented post-bop unit that acquits itself well on every number. Jansson’s compositions are more than window-dressing, serving as provocative springboards for lively and rewarding improvisation by each member of the group. There’s humor too, as on "Ant Steps," which Jansson describes as "an abbreviation of Coltrane’s ‘Giant Steps’." Tenor saxophonist Gilbert Holmström sits in for Trane. Holmström and drummer Rune Carlsson take a coffee break on "I Can’t Get Started" and "In the Shadow," a tribute to Duke Ellington’s legendary bassist Jimmy Blanton, where pianist Tommy Kotter plays counterpoint to Jansson’s resonant arco bass. Kjell says "I Can’t Get Started" has been a favorite song of his since he heard it performed by Charles Mingus. "Zonk" is a sixteen-bar blues theme, "Italian Wood" a groover whose title acknowledges its resemblance to the Beatles’ "Norwegian Wood." Jansson wrote the lovely "Morgon" (Morning), introduced by Kotter’s expressive piano, as an homage to nature; the groovy "Movin’ East" denotes the quartet’s move from its home in Gothenburg to a more rural location nearby. "Bassistic" is a thirty-two-bar blues composed from the bass rather than the piano, "For My Lady" an ardent love song to Jansson’s wife of more than thirty years. The quartet earns high marks for resourcefulness and craftsmanship, the album for its excellent sound and generous playing time. This is on a par with much of the contemporary small-group music being played in this country. ~ Extract by Jack Bowers, AAJ. 

Dragon Records, DRCD 384, 2002
Recorded 24th & 25th August, 2002 Live at the Gerlesborg School of Fine Arts, Sweden 

Musicians:
Kjell Jansson - Bass, Composer, Arranger
Gilbert Holmström - Tenor Sax (#1-3, 5-7,9,10)
Tommy Kotter - Piano
Rune Carlsson - Drums (#1-3,5-7,9,10)

Tracks:
01. Zonk {Kjell Jansson} (9:26)
02. Italian Wood {Kjell Jansson} (4:57)
03. The Pearl {Kjell Jansson} (7:19)
04. In The Shadow {Kjell Jansson} (2:21)
05. Ant Steps {Kjell Jansson} (5:18)
06. Morgon [Morning] {Kjell Jansson} (7:39)
07. Movin' East {Kjell Jansson} (8:03)
08. I Can't Get Started {Vernon Duke} (4:04)
09. Bassistic {Kjell Jansson} (7:49)
10. For My Lady {Kjell Jansson} (7:26) 

Total Time: 64:25 

Credits:
Producer, Mixing, Liner Notes - Kjell Jansson
Executive-Producer - Leif Collin
Engineer, Mixing - Åke Linton
Digital Mastering - Kenneth Svensson [Digitalfabriken]
Photography - Rolf Ohlson
Liner Notes [Translation] - Dave Castle

LINK

“Ant Steps”

Stefano D'Anna Quartet - Carousel (1998)

Here is even more music from the Sonny Rollins of Italian jazz. This is perhaps an unfair tag to put on tenor saxophonist Stefano D'Anna. The dub comes not from the fact that D'Anna plays so much like Rollins as much as it is his stature -- the manner in which he carries himself, solos, and leads a band. In this case it is guitarist Fabio Zeppetella, bassist Pietro Ciancaglini, and Roberto Gatto on drums. The band plays a solid program of D'Anna compositions that range from modern spires of post-bop intelligence ("Coolwalk," "Coasting") to romantic balladry that is so sweet only a master could pull it off without sounding maudlin ("La Valse," "Elena"), and D'Anna and his band make these tracks drip with taste, elegance, aplomb, and mid-tempo blues-outs that offer a deeper view into the inner workings of a quartet ("Carousel," "Seven Years," "Have a Nice Day"). Particularly fascinating is the interplay between D'Anna and Zeppetella, who is a very strong and imaginative soloist in his own right. The two rarely square off, but continually mark each other's paces and inspire to new heights the melodic nuances of D'Anna's harmonic construction. The set closes with "Southern Comfort," an eerie ballad of moody reserve and spatial intervals. It's a curious choice to close a recording in that it never really catches fire, but perhaps, sitting on the outer margins of his oeuvre, this is just what it's supposed to do, as guitar and saxophone trade long fours and the rhythm section just shimmies through the ever-changing meters. But it's a beautiful whisper, too -- one that is fragmented and silky at the same time. D'Anna, though fully mature as a saxophonist, is still, like Sonny Rollins, growing into his music and his sound. To be continued. ~ by Thom Jurek, AMG. 

Splasc(H) Records, CDH 666.2, 1998
Recorded 16th & 17th February, 1998 at Coltempo Studio, Rome, Italy 

Musicians:
Stefano D'Anna - Tenor Sax
Fabio Zeppetella - Guitar
Pietro Ciancaglini - Bass
Roberto Gatto - Drums

Tracks:
1. Carousel (7:21)
2. Coolwalk (6:07)
3. Elena (8:35)
4. Coasting (7:08)
5. Seven Years (6:51)
6. Have A Nice Day (6:09)
7. La Valse (7:41)
8. Southern Comfort (5:33) 

All compositions by Stefano D'Anna 

Total Time: 55:28 

Credits:
Producer - Associazione "Macchina di Suoni" for Splasc(h) Records
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Simone Ciammarughi
Graphic Design - Luigi Naro
Cover Art - Peppo Spagnoli
Photography - Antonio Siragusa, Mauro D'Agati, Roberto Randazzo
Liner Notes - Davide Ielmini

LINK

Seven Years