Parish
Thomas Strønen, Bobo Stenson, Fredrik Ljungkvist, Mats Eilertsen
- 1Improvisation I
02:09 - 2Suite For Trio I
05:37 - 3Suite For Trio II
04:45 - 4Suite For Trio III
03:12 - 5Suite For Trio IV
03:29 - 6Improvisation II
02:20 - 7Easta
07:33 - 8Daddycation
07:28 - 9Travel I
01:24 - 10Quarz
06:44 - 11Murring
07:18 - 12Travel II
01:44 - 13In Motion
05:31 - 14C moll maj
05:52 - 15Improvisation III
04:22 - 16Nu
01:45
The music is cool, spare, and thoughtful, with every note carefully placed for maximum weight and effect. The clarity and refinement of the playing is striking in its precision and attention to minute details of timbre, colour and texture, but it never sounds overly fussy or stilted as a consequence. It may be high on abstraction …, but is also notable lyrical and expressive at times.
Kenny Mathieson, Jazzwise
Ein wohltuendes, hoch spannendes Erlebnis, vor allem weil Drummer und Leader Thomas Strønen als vermeintlicher Fremdkörper bei dem perfekt inszenierten Déjá vu jeden Verdacht der Trittbrettfahrerei im Keim erstickt. Auch die anderen trachten nicht danach, irgendetwas zu kopieren. Bobo Stenson entwickelt sich in Parish zu einem auf Singlenotes abgerichteten Spürhund, während Mats Eilertson mehr Scott LaFaros Tiefgründigkeit als Steve Swallows Angriffslust folgt. Ein bemerkenswertes Werk voller verträumter, halbfreier Kontrapunkt-Improvisationen, die dem Gefühl ebenso viel geben wie dem Verstand.
Reinhard Köchl, Jazzthing
Die Musiker der norwegisch-schwedischen Band spielen in dieser Besetzung seit 2001 zusammen und haben in dieser Zeit eine beachtliche Sensibilität für das Spiel der jeweils anderen kultiviert. ... Es spricht für die improvisatorische Klasse der Musiker, dass die Grenze zwischen freien und komponierten Stücken bei Parish immer wieder verschwimmt. Das gegenseitige Verständnis und die Schlüssigkeit der Improvisationen sind so groß, dass sich gerade beim wiederholten hören immer mehr Motive herausschälen, die ebenso gut notiert sein könnten. Gleichzeitig legen die Kompositionen jede Sperrigkeit ab. ... Wenn das Quartett diesen Weg weitergeht, ist noch Großes zu erwarten.
Guido Diesing, Jazzthetik
Parish is a fascinating band initiated by Norwegian drummer Thomas Strønen. Half-Swedish, half-Norwegian, it brings master pianist Bobo Stenson into the orbit of the younger generation of Scandinavian players, with striking results. While being thoroughly contemporary in its sensitivity to sound, “Parish” also implies connections to the intellectually-alert improvised chamber jazz of Paul Bley and Jimmy Giuffre and, by extension, to the roots of music on ECM. Much of the material is improvised in the moment, with free ballads abounding, and graceful and compelling ‘abstract’ playing, of ‘Webernesque’ acuity and transparency. Thomas Strønen also writes elegant themes that steer the players toward the free.
The group was formed in 2001, a debut album, “Rica”, recorded live at the Oslo Jazz Festival that year, was issued by Dutch label Challenge. Since then, however, the unit has found a clearer sense of own identity.
In Parish, Bobo Stenson emphasises probing, searching single-note lines. The clarinet of Fredrik Ljungkvist has an astringent beauty (see the four Suites for Trio), while his tenor sax tends toward bluesy expressivity (see especially “In Motion”). There is at least a hint of Scott LaFaro in Eilertsen’s approach to the bass, while Strønen’s drums are fleet and resourceful throughout, fanning the sense of spontaneous counterpoint that is one of Parish’s strengths, and giving an easy streamlined flow to the group sound.
The group was formed in 2001, a debut album, “Rica”, recorded live at the Oslo Jazz Festival that year, was issued by Dutch label Challenge. Since then, however, the unit has found a clearer sense of own identity.
In Parish, Bobo Stenson emphasises probing, searching single-note lines. The clarinet of Fredrik Ljungkvist has an astringent beauty (see the four Suites for Trio), while his tenor sax tends toward bluesy expressivity (see especially “In Motion”). There is at least a hint of Scott LaFaro in Eilertsen’s approach to the bass, while Strønen’s drums are fleet and resourceful throughout, fanning the sense of spontaneous counterpoint that is one of Parish’s strengths, and giving an easy streamlined flow to the group sound.
| YEAR | DATE | VENUE | LOCATION | |
| 2023 | April 20 | Jazzklubb | Hamar, Norway |
