The cover of EST’s Magnus Ostrom looks like a study in Norwegian Black Metal but ACT label’s release is a vision in modern jazz (and there’s a European Tour to start very soon).
Being the drummer in the most influential jazz band of the past ten years in EST, since Esbjorn Svensson tragically died in an accident in 2008, the anticipation for the debut solo album is almost palpable.
It’s been a year since e.s.t.’s bassist re-emerged as the dark and brooding Dan Berglund’s Tonbruket (with the Tonbruket album) and with that in mind, the only place to start a review of Thread Of Life is ‘Ballad For E’ that’s written in memory of his long time friend Esbjorn Svensson that not only features Dan Berglund but also Pat Methany.
Guitarist Methany who made his name in the early 80s with albums 80/81 and As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls when he reinvented the traditional “jazz guitar” sound. Methany was one of a very few musician’s that ever joined e.s.t. on stage and here he is in his trademark style on acoustic guitar. It’s not that far from a solo track in some ways as it’s his arrangement that he gets the mood that’s so incredibly spot-on.
And this track reminds of one of my old mantras last week, a one track album is worth the price alone of any no track album. This type of philosophy works when there’s one track albums of prog proportions (e.g. Tubular Bells), you’re a superstar DJ or where income outweighs expenditure.
I mention this as Thread Of Life could be considered as a multiple ‘one track’ album if that’s not a paradox (Ed. I think it is). ‘Weight Of Death’ and Between’ keep us in the reflective mood of ‘Ballad For E’ and the set finishes with close on 20 minutes of ‘Hymn (For The Past) Parts I & II’
All this hangs on the Thread Of Life theme, where at any moment, that thread could break and whilst there is a sombre and thoughtfulness, the emotion of the sounds is very strong that harks back to the days of seminal albums like Tubular Bells and the aforesaid As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls.
By reputation you might have thought Ostrom’s debut album would be more rock edged but that shouldn’t put off drum heads as this, like Tonbruket is an album crated by a band; particularly like ‘Longing’.
Although, the best stand alone tracks are ‘Piano Break Song’ that’s pretty much a shoe in set opener and it’s as close to a Jeff Beck Blow period as it gets (and you can’t get much better than that in my book of jazz-rock fusion magnificence) and ‘Afilia Mi’ that’s a bit more a la Miles fusion sans trumpet/Cinematic Orchestra with ?ñstr??m’s vocal wailing (both potential Jazz Chronicle playlist tracks).
Unfortunately there was only the one UK date when the album was released at the Pizza Express but this week sees the start of a proper European Tour and you would be well advised to get your tickets sooner rather than later as they’ll sell out fast.
Forthcoming Dates:
29.04.2011 DE – Munchen Jazzclub Unterfahrt
30.04.2011 AT – Innsbruck Treibhaus
02.05.2011 DE – Hamburg Kampnagel
03.05.2011 DE – Erlangen E-Werk
04.05.2011 SI – Ljubljana
06.05.2011 SE – Gothenburg Nefertiti
11.05.2011 SE – Stockholm Jazzclub Fasching
12.05.2011 SE – Visby Munkk?§llaren
23.05.2011 FR – Paris New Morning
10.07.2011 SE – Kristianstad S??dra Torg
13.07.2011 AT – Wien Rathausplatz
15.07.2011 DE – Kaiserslautern Seeb?ºhne
Reviewed: Magnus ?ñstr??m – Thread Of Life (The ACT Company) Cat. No:ACT 9025-2 Release date: 7th March 2011
Credits:
Andreas Hourdakis – electric and acoustic guitars
Gustaf Karlof – grand piano, keyboards and vocoder
Thobias Gabrielson – electric bass, bass synthesizer, keyboards, trumpet
Magnus Ostrom – drums, percussion, electronics, additional keyboards, vocals
Tracklisting:
1 Prelude (2:48)
2 Piano Break Song (8:53)
3 Longing (8:42)
4 Afilia Mi (7:14)
5 Weight Of Death (10:37)
6 Ballad For E feat Dan Berglund (bass) & Pat Metheny (arranged by and acoustic guitar) (9:55)
7 The Haunted Thoughts And The Endless Fall (4:00)
8 Between (6:23)
9 Hymn (For The Part) Part I (2:55
10 Hymn (For The Part) Part II (15:42)
Links:
actmusic.com
UK dates: 12th March 2011 – Pizza Express, Soho, London
patmethenygroup.com
www.tonbruket.comest-music.comactmusic.com
Jazz Chronicles with Simon S, Martin Gordon and Gerry Hectic every first Saturday of the month – next up: Saturday, 7th May at 3:00pm @ Sixty Million Postcards, Bournemouth
www.myspace.com/60millionpostcards
