Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Nordub, OKeh Records 2018.
This album is a really interesting collaboration between Reggae legends Sly & Robbie and Norwegian Jazz innovator Nils Petter Molvaer.
The outcome of their efforts is an album that transcends boundaries to incorporate elements of Jamaican melody and rhythm with some cutting edge Norwegian Jazz improvisation.
Sly & Robbie have been around a long time and they’ve always been prepared to innovate. They’ve often incorporated soul, hip hop, and even dancehall elements into their music.
Over the years they’ve collaborated with a wide range of musicians including Sting so it should come as no surprise that they’d be prepared to explore contemporary Norwegian Jazz.
Not that you’d necessarily label Molvaer as mainstream.
His willingness to incorporate sound loops and all the digital techniques at his disposal to create a new and vibrant sound is commendable.
He invited guitarist Eivind Aarset and Vladislav Delay on electrics to join the sessions and together they create a unique sound panorama that takes modern Jazz into new territory.
The main rhythmic elements are carried by some excellent bass structures and wonderfully sparse drumming.
This is particularly evident in the track Strange Bright Crowd with its insistent and hypnotic bass melody propelling the track forward.
The album is mainly instrumental and it is very atmospheric.
Vocals are treated more like instruments than words. They’re often cut up and rearranged to create the desired sound.
I found the whole experience quite uplifting.
This album is one for the modern jazz fans amongst us.
