Fredrik Lundin & Odense Jazz Orchestra - "It Takes All Kinds To Make a World"

Fredrik Lundin & Odense Jazz Orchestra

Fredrik Lundin - Tenor- and mezzo soprano saxophone (mezzo solos on 1, 2 and tenor solo 4)

Odense Jazz Orchestra:
Conductor and Artistic Director: Torben Sminge
Morten Øberg – Alto and Soprano Saxophones, Clarinet, Flutes

Guy Moscoso – Alto Saxophone, Clarinet Flute (Alto Saxophone Solo on 6)
Finn Henriksen – Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute
Hans Mydtskov – Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet (Tenor Saxophone Solo on 5)
Ole Visby – Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Contrabass Clarinet (Bass Clarinet Lead on 3)
Ari Bragi Karason – Trumpet
Tomasz Dabrowski – Trumpet (1, 2, 3 and 6, solo on 1 and 2)
Jesper Riis – Trumpet (4 and 5)
Jakob Holdensen – Trumpet,
Hans Christian Ilskov Erbs – Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Stefan Ringgive – Trombone, Flugabone (Trombone Solo on 5)
Mikkel Aagaard – Trombone (Solo on 6)
Anders Ringaard Andersen – Trombone, Accordion
John Kristensen – Bass Trombone, Tuba
Makiko Hirabayashi – Piano, Rhodes, Synthesizer
Morten Nordal – Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Lap Steel, Dobro and Loops (Guitar Solo on 6)
Kasper Tegel – Bass
Chano Olskær – Drums

album's title: "It Takes All Kinds To Make a World"

April Records (Denmark, 2022)

album’s link : https://fredriklundin.bandcamp.com/album/it-takes-all-kinds-to-make-a-world

Review author: Viačeslavas Gliožeris

Big bands' music is a true luxury nowadays. Their „golden era“ lasted a decade and a half during Prohibition in America, when dance halls with live big bands were one of the main retail points for the distribution of illegal alcohol. Being an important component of extremely profitable large-scale businesses they had proper financing. In our cost-efficiency idolization time, they are too expensive and have very low commercial potency. In America, big bands survived mostly as College orchestras. In Europe, they are usually founded by public TV and Radio companies, or financed from different governmental or local communal funds. Big bands are partially popular around Nordic countries and Germany. In my home country, we have a great big band, founded by the Army Forces, for example.

During the 50s and 60s, early traditional big bands musically evolved from dance orchestras to collectives, playing music for listening in a manner more similar to concert hall music. These „new“ big bands are often classified as „progressive big bands“. A great example is Charles Mingus' „The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady“.

Danish Odense Jazz Orchestra has existed since 1994 (initially as TipToe BigBand) and is supported by Odense Municipality and the Norwegian Arts Council, as well as sponsored by local private businesses. Renowned Polish trumpeter Tomasz Dąbrowski among a few more foreigners, is a member(2nd trumpeter) in the Orchestra's line-up. Tomasz's newest album as a leader, „Better“, released earlier this year, is recorded by participating Danish composer and sax player Fredrik Lundin. Lundin is a guest and main composer of the Odense Jazz Orchestra's album „It Takes All Kinds To Make a World„.

„It Takes All Kinds To Make a World„ is an ambitious work that partially recalls Carla Bley's orchestral music from the 70s. The band plays music, rooted in a classic, but with significant influence of rock and free jazz. The opener „Desperate Times, Desperate Measures“ starts and closes bombastically. A jazz fusion-influenced piece, It contains Fredrik Lundin's sax and Tomasz Dąbrowski trumpet free-jazz soloing over the knotted and jumping drummer's rhythms. It's one of the better album compositions for sure.

„Gormenghast“, a composition based on British author Mervyn Peak's „Gormenghast“ series, is more dreamy, and less explosive and recalls the fairy-tale cartoon soundtrack from my childhood. It contains Fredrik Lundin sax and great Dąbrowski trumpet soloing again, plus some interesting Rhodes sounds in the background. „Walk With Me, My Friend“ is a well-orchestrated a bit lazy waltz radiating light and positive energy. The album's shortest piece, „Glossolalia“ sounds jazzier, with a lot of brass and some nice Lundin sax soloing.

„Now Or Never“ is elegant even coquettish, moody, and groovy. It's retro-sound recall French movies from the 80s soundtrack. The closer, „It Takes All Kinds To Make A World„ opens with a bird call's field recording. The electric guitar's gentle soloing is a true pleasure in this song.

For every fan of a „big sound, “ each new release of jazz orchestra-recorded music is an event, usually there are not many around. Odense Jazz Orchestra did a great job recording this new material. As for my taste, here are some over-orchestrated moments, too heavy brass passages on this album. I would prefer more nuanced music and subtler arrangements. Tomasz Dąbrowski's trumpet soloing is a true gem though.