All sorts of jazz, free jazz and improv. Never for money, always for love.
The Swedish quartet Exploding Customer made quite a splash a few years back
with their debut release Live at the Glenn Miller Café on Ayler records.
On that recording, they showed a penchant for tearing into searing post-bop
post-anchored in a roiling, polyrhythmic swing tinged with an Ayleresque
freedom.
This follow-up, recorded in the fall of 2004 at the Finnish festival Tampere
Jazz Happening, finds reed player Martin Küchen, trumpet player Tomas
Hallonsten, bassist Benjamin Quigley, and drummer Kjell Nordeson, picking
up on the promise shown on the first release. Küchen provides the tunes
again, and the four surf the edges of tight ensemble interaction and probing
freedom. There are equal elements of dancing folk music, simmering hard
bop, kwela groove, and spitting fire music at play.
And the four pull all of this together with élan, clearly getting
as much of a charge out of the set as the jubilant audience.
Those more familiar with Küchen from his micro-nuanced solos or duos
with David Stackenäs are in for a surprise here. In this context he
plays with brawny, keening cries which build off the simple song-like themes.
Hallonsten is a fine foil, his trumpet jumping the full range, from full,
bright, brassy attack to warm, muted color.
Bassist Quigley and drummer Nordeson are just the powerhouse team you need
for music like this. Quigley's resonant bass rings out as his fingers fly
up and down the neck of his bass. He pushes the music with just the right
muscle, providing a flexible but unwavering momentum.
Nordeson has honed his chops over the last few decades, most notably as
a member of the Aaly Trio, and knows how to drive the improvisations with
a dynamic balance of swing and freedom.
With most tunes coming in at around the 4 to 7-minute range, the quartet
keeps their playing pared down and direct while still allowing plenty of
room for ripping solos all around. It is clear that this is a band to see
live so thanks go out to Ayler Records for capturing them in their element
yet again.
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