| Smooth Jazz |
This new CD by Pernille Bevort is, in my opinion, a somewhat mixed album, with musicians who play wonderfully well but sometimes with compositions that are a bit boring. As always, I listen to an album several times before reviewing it, in-depth listening where I dissect every note in search of hidden meaning or lack thereof. The compositions are polished, inspired, one might say, by the ephemeral maturity of life, and yet the themes seem to take an infinite amount of time to develop. With a trio formation lacking a harmonic instrument, Morten Ankarfeldt on bass and Espen Laub von Lillienskjold on drums, the ensemble transitions from cool swing to blues, all the way to the poetic Nordic sound of their homeland.
Although I adore Pernille Bevort’s playing style, I am unable to connect with this album. It is probably a matter of personal taste, perhaps because it has been too long since I left Europe, and other types of musical offerings have attracted my attention more specifically. There is a repetitive aspect to the music, but it lacks the brilliance of Philip Glass. Here, I have a strange feeling of going in circles, of returning, and only a few bursts of somewhat agitated saxophone manage to keep me engaged until the end of this album. Or maybe it’s the current trend of an atmosphere in a Europe devastated by inflation and poverty that has caused an influx of incessant inflation and poverty lately, which is reflected in the works being released in recent weeks.
The tracks follow one another, and I am searching for an angle for this review, desperate but not finding one. I find myself in a similar situation as with Youn Sun Nah’s latest album, voiceless and bereft of the talent of artists whom I usually admire for their inventiveness. In both cases, one could easily be fooled—formidable performers. Only one track finds favor in my eyes on this album, “Strolling In June,” where we find a bit of Pernille Bevort’s beautiful creative energy. As for the rest, I’m just going in circles and desperately bored, a bit disheartened by these European albums where one can only say “it plays well,” yes, it plays well, but it sorely lacks depth.
Out of respect for the musicians, I give this album three stars, hoping that Pernille Bevort’s next creation will make me more enthusiastic.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, February 6th 2024
::::::::::::::::::::::
Danish saxophone player Pernille Bévort has always been a remarkable and noted musician on the Danish jazz scene. She is talented (playing tenor, soprano and alto saxophones, as well as flutes and clarinets), and her charisma as well as her personality usually run through her music in a very strong way, playing with everything from duos to big bands and leaving no one indifferent. Is it to change the atmosphere, the musical ambiance, or to prove (to herself?) that she can impose her signature and her playing in a kind of smooth jazz that she is releasing this new opus? She alone has the answer, but unfortunately, this time, I’m not keen on this record… On the other hand, without any problem, here is a record that will serve as background music when you have friends over for an aperitif and/or for dinner. As background music, it’s an album that is perfect. But to set the living room on fire we will wait for the next album.
Frankie Pfeiffer
Editor in chief Paris-Move
::::::::::::::::::::::