By Stef Gijssels

John Coltrane’s “Dwell In Japan” (1991), begins with an outstanding thirty-eight minute lengthy rendition of the Latin jazz composition “Afro Blue” by Mongo Santamaria from his 1959 album “Mongo“. (On the identical Coltrane album, “My Favourite Issues” lasts even fifty-seven minutes!). The unique Coltrane model seems on “Dwell At Birdland” (1964), and Coltrane and band demonstrated already then how a joyful and entertaining tune will be moved to a totally completely different airplane, considered one of genuine emotional energy and depth, of spirituality and aesthetic imaginative and prescient. The tune grew to become a normal in Coltrane’s repertoire, as a lot as “My Favourite Issues“, “Naima“, “Impressions” and some others. 

It is a problem to carry a rendition of Coltrane’s favourite tunes, and to make it work. The Swedish energy trio of Mats Gustafsson on saxes, Sten Sandell on piano and Raymond Strid on drums take the danger. And so they do greater than survive, a lot in order that I’ve been replaying the identical tune many times for the final days. All three musicians give it their finest, and Gustafsson’s howling tenor is really magnificent, as are Sandell’s dramatic and ominous piano components, and Strid’s rumbling percussion. It’s a phenomenal monitor that made me snicker out loud of sheer listening pleasure. It lasts round nineteen minutes, half of Coltrane’s efficiency on “Dwell In Japan“, and I really want that it didn’t cease. Nevertheless it does, with an amazing finale, and with a strong dry beat on the drums. So replay. Once more. Gustafsson howls and wails and roars like solely he can do it, with an exquisite sense of conserving the tune someplace intact flying by this sonic hurricane. 

The album begins with two robust Sandell compositions, “Behind The Chords V” and “Behind The Chords VI“, two equally lengthy tracks, glorious items, very a lot led and structured by the piano, and with Gustafsson once more outperforming himself. The compelling compositions come from Sandell’s album “Behind the Chords“, which was simply launched then in 1998, when this reside efficiency occurred at Jazzclub Fasching in Stockholm. Each items are lengthy sufficient to present every musician ample solo time, together with a very fascinating percussion solo by Raymond Strid, midway the primary monitor. Sandell’s enjoying incorporates many types, from delicate lyricism over grand chords to percussive powerplay. 

The album ends with a close to silent encore, simply two minutes lengthy, a form of lullaby to calm our spirits after all of the unimaginable stress. 

Do not miss it!

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