Jimi Tenor & Kaptain Ørenvist

Rarely visited for a reason, the paradox expressed on this island is how the disparate parts of its sonic geography have been affiliated. Played by a disparate Scandinavian quintet, the landscape is further obscured because the expected Jazz-improv contours of  sequences created by Kaptain Ørenvist – Danes, percussionist P.O. Jørgensen and guitarist Jørgen Teller –  are further stretched by the brassy intensity of Danish tubaist Kristian Tangvik and Norwegian trumpeter Erik Kimestad Pedersen plus the flute, tenor saxophone, synthesizer and vocals if Finn Jimi Tenor, usually found in more pop-oriented projects. Add in more electronic impulses and you end up with a  bizarre but appealing instrumental mix.

Although tuba burbles are few and far between, consistent trumpet triplets are expended usually as counterpoint to pinched saxophone growls or expressive flute flutters. Synthesizer washes, from Tenor and Teller, and electronics from Tangvik are omnipresent however and often create not only a leitmotif but are also programmed to fill any spaces left open by the instruments. Keyboard patterning is also interjected in terms of organ-like splashes or jittery single notes. Guitar flanges and rugged percussion can be paired off with tough transverse trill as on “Glory Street” or vibrate in tandem with reed slurs and stops as on “Deep Dark”. Meanwhile only “Highland Traffic” and “Omnisphere” give Jørgensen enough room to express his constant junkeroo and backbeat idiophone accents on the former among brass triplets and flute buzzes; or to intersect ascending and descending percussion clunks and plinking steel drum stresses to add acoustic variety of processed and synthesized wiggles and whooshes plus continuous horn whistles.

Despite trumpet splatters, pinched saxophone growls and whistling oscillations, the tracks maintain some semblance of more free form work as well as maintaining linear expressions. However if many of the tracks weren’t arbitrarily cut off as well as being brief, the island contours would have been able to expand geographically perhaps even to continent length.

In short Paradox Island is memorable in its exclusivity. But whether other voyages to this uncommon musical land mass should be attempted remains a moot point.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1 Swimming In Haze 2. 2 Spirit Bird Fly 3. Black Blood 4. Melting Ice 5. Glory Street 6.Gentle Reminder7. Highland Traffic 8. Blinded Mind 9. Fatamorgana no. 383 10. Donny’s Travel Agency 11, Omnisphere  12. Deep Dark

Personnel: Erik Kimestad Pedersen (trumpet); Kristian Tangvik (tuba, electronics); Jimi Tenor (flute, tenor saxophone, synthesizer, vocals); Jørgen Teller (guitar, synthesizer, kalimba); Peter Ole Jørgensen (percussion, steel drum)