Description
★★★★★ REVIEW Critical Jazz (USA)
The wonderful tone and phrasing of Langedijk and angular staccato oriented leads carefully laid over the subtle nuances of this formidable trio make for a new if not different sound for modern jazz guitar. Different is not bad, just different. While I may have reviewed over 300 guitarists in 3 years the greatest joy is having an artist from another country reach out to me and then deliver a sound like has not been heard before in the States is truly hitting the musical mother load. Sounds like? An inherently unfair question but I’ll take a shot…early Pat Metheny mixed with John Abercrombie and Jim Hall. Modern jazz guitar flipped on its head where old school becomes new cool and in a most intriguing fashion. I often refer to “Independent” artists but the days of the major label deal have long since dead and unless you can land a gig with Down Beat as a writer the same holds true. The music industry has changed for all concerned and unless you may one of the lucky artists and or writers that lands the ever elusive gig with a major label or publication then we will continue to be held to a higher and different standard while wrong in principle, understandable if one is looking to pay the light bill.
The flavor set forth not to mention the form and function of the lyrically driven trio combines what many consider European jazz with that of standard modern jazz played in the west. The obvious thematic formula here seems like a deconstructed tune where the head/solo/head are all most reversed with drummer Hans Van Oosterhout on drums, a jazz nasty bass line laid down by Udo Pannekeet. This jazz gumbo mixes perfectly and my not just be one of the finer European trios but one of the better trios on a global level with plenty of flavor and texture without bordering on the artistic pretentiousness engaged by some musicians.
