Showing posts with label Snorre Kirk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snorre Kirk. Show all posts

Saturday, November 2, 2024

Snorre Kirk Quartet & Stephen Riley - Tangerine Rhapsody

Styles: Bop, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:12
Size: 96,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:45) 1. Unsentimental
(6:50) 2. Tangerine Rhapsody
(3:55) 3. Blues Jump
(4:51) 4. West Indian Flower
(3:50) 5. The Nightingale & The Lake
(5:30) 6. Uptown Swing Theme
(5:18) 7. Festival Grease
(4:09) 8. Nocturne

Stephen Riley, Jan Harbeck (ts); Magnus Hjorth (p); Anders Fjeldsted (b);Snorre Kirk (d)

This quartet is solidly locked in the swing era but that is where drummer leader, Snorre and, presumably, his musicians, want to stay. He has recruited American tenor sax soloist, Riley who plays on all tracks and uses his regular sax man, Harbeck on tracks 2 and 3. Both tenor men play in the swing style and admire Paul Gonsalves which will give you an advance idea of their sounds. Riley favours a heavy, breathy vibrato and is obviously also enamoured of the music of Ben Webster and Johnny Hodges. Drummer leader Snorre is unusual in that he takes no solos and says he ‘does not make a big deal of them on records.’ He does though support vigorously throughout and with tasteful playing. His heroes are Jo Jones and Ed Thigpen and he says that Elvin Jones and Tony Williams are ‘probably a bit too much for me.’ This again will indicate to potential purchasers what to expect.

As to the music it is rooted in the past, but the style is valid, it swings easily under Snorre’s driving drums and Fjelsted’s solid bass. If you are into heavy, shaking vibrato on the tenor sax you will enjoy both soloist’s contributions. Festival Grease is a good, slow, funky blues and Uptown Swing Theme does swing, easily and effectively. West Indian Theme is an attractive calypso that features the bassist’s only solo of the set. Well, at least he gets more than the leader. The music is relaxed and melodic throughout and will go down well with enthusiasts of Ellington, Basie and the like. And what’s not to like about that?
~Derek Ansell https://www.jazzviews.net/snorre-kirk-quartet-with-stephen-riley---tangerine-rhapsody.html

Tangerine Rhapsody