Berdon Kirksaether & The Twang Bar Kings
Latenighters Under A Full Moon
Roller Records
Whilst a marriage
of jazz and blues can, more often than not, disintegrate into little more than
a series of extended solos, sonic masturbation from which there’s no escape,
when done correctly, it’s a pleasure to behold.
Norwegian master
Berdon Kirksaether is one whose compositional and guitar skill bring the two
together in such a way that serves to highlight how these two hallowed genres
can compliment, as opposed to overcrowd, one another.
Prominent in
Norway through the ‘90s as leader of acclaimed blues band CIA, Kirksaether
brings with him here a few CIA alumni and creates something new – a collection
of subtle, solid, sweet jazz/blues fusions which never overstay their welcome,
never overreach or under-perform.
From free-swinging
guitar driven numbers to piano led boogies complimented with wavering horns, it’s
an in the main up-tempo finger-snapper of an album, all instrumental, that
presents both jazz and blues in a uniquely European setting – dark and slinky,
yet bursting with innovation and poise. A contender for Roots Album of the
Year.
4/5
Samuel J. Fell
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