Marius Neset, tenor- & soprano saxophone // Elliot Galvin, keys // Magnus Hjorth, piano // Conor Chaplin, electric bass // Anton Eger, drums & perc
A song and a dance or two, some jokes, hummable tunes, and perhaps some sparkles - right? OK, but know that this cabaret is informed by a breathtakingly wide-ranging musical imagination and offers an eventful and dramatic journey.
The players on CABARET are the same as on the previous HAPPY, transformed to a real working band >
After recent releases featuring Neset’s widescreen large ensemble writing for the London Sinfonietta including an appearance in the programme of BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall, a solo saxophone record, and a through-composed duo suite with classical piano star Leif Ove Andsnes, a new project with the quintet was a bit like coming home again. But even with this smaller group, he still thinks orchestrally, and his music is often dense and intricate, but needs players who can tackle it the same way as he does.
The listener is on a roller-coaster ride, following songs that are rich in contrast, torrential melodic invention, and shifting dynamics. Many influences are mixed in, notably hints of Joe Zawinul’s melodic and textural signatures, and traces of one-time mentor Django Bates’ puckish humour. The whole music is pure Neset, a virtuoso sax playing on tenor and soprano, a technique equal to Michael Brecker and melodic senses in every compositional detail.
