Concert at the Salon IKSV, Istanbul, Turkey, January 18, 2014
A completely sold out concert in a city where jazz really beats like few other places in Europe and the world. A musical scene to pay close attention to, and one that pays close attention to what is going on. Turkey is hungry for innovative and quality music. And the age of the listeners is often incredibly young compared to other countries, I have never seen so many boys and girls at a jazz concert, ever. Magnus Öström is really at home here, everything that is related to the Esbjörn Svensson Trio enjoys the status of a loving and warm cult. “Loving" is not an adjective chosen at random, it is different from “adoring”. In fact, the gap between audience and stage is tiny and the liquid boiling energy which abundantly fell on the audience was repaid with delirious shouting, applauding and sighing that no one cared to hold back. I have never experienced anything quite like that at a jazz concert before.
Moreover I believe that all those present were not only fully aware of Öströms' magnitude, but also that of his musicians, each of them involved in their own very interesting solo projects, which have all or will be dealt with here on JazzItalia. Daniel Karlsson, to begin with, in my opinion one of Scandinavia’s best pianists, whose personality always shines through despite his strong eclecticism; or Thobias Gabrielson (who amongst others has played with Nils Landgren) who showed even more class live than on the album; and finally Andreas Hourdakis, whose guitar playing has really given a recognizable phrasing to Öströms' work, especially on his second album, which we reviewed here.
The concert was almost entirely dedicated to Öströms' latest, immense, album Searching For Jupiter (with only two pieces from the first album, Thread Of Life), performed in chronological order. In fact. it starts with The Moon (The Air And It Moves) where Gabrielson expresses himself with spectacular force on the bass and continues with Dancing At The Dutchtreat, even more Methenian than on the record, that is then finally brought to a beautiful end. The chronological order continues with Mary Jane Does not Live Here Any More, in which Öströms' brushes produce a prolonged caress but only until Karlsson’s masterly piano improvisation gives the go ahead for everyone else to start their own improvising. On Searching For Jupiter it is Hourdakis’ guitar that soars away, boundless and powerful, supported at the end by a granite like Gabrielson, his bass not giving an inch even during the new piano improvisation, which leads to the audience screaming deliriously to Hourdakis’ last notes, falling on us like candy drops.
The first lineup diversion occurs on the fifth track: Weight Of Death, taken from Thread Of Life, the stage lights create a Caravaggio like scene and Gabrielson puts his bass aside initially, only to play with some electronics, while Karlsson switches to organ. At first the drums perform an almost silent minimal part, almost unrecognizable, up to when Gabrielson starts to produce a funky beat from his synth bass, turning it all into some kind of tribal battle with the drums, where upon Karlsson is back on piano playing very percussively, and then it ends with Öström producing electronic like sounds from his drums. Two accords and the track glides inside Through The Sun with the bass solo I had been so waiting to hear live since the album had been released, absolutely stunning! Gabrielson ends up dueting with Hourdakis’ super acid guitar until they both land back on track, opening it wide up for a final elating crescendo.
The seventh piece, Öström explains, was inspired by seeing his children standing harmlessly up again after having fallen whilst playing. The piece is aptly titled Happy And The Fall and gives room to perhaps one of Karlsson’s best piano solos, as I had very much anticipated.
The last piece before the encore had to be At The End Of Eternity, this masterpiece hosts Öström’s mammoth solo like a brilliantly cast diamond. He seems to divide into two, playing the odd tempos with one hand and the even with the other – I asked him later if it was so or if it was my imagination, he smiled and replied ; “I do not know what I did”. Changing rhythmic direction completely four times, he appears to be having a spectacular duel with himself. After an acceleration at full pelt, he steps out of his trance to find his musical companions for a glorious uplifting finale. But the audience refuses to accept this as the end, so the four return to the stage for the only encore, from the first album, Piano Break Song, as beautiful as the original, but with even more energy and Thobias Gabrielson pulling out the maddest groove for the finale.
Set list:
The Moon ( The Air And It Moves ), Dancing At The Dutchtreat, Mary Jane Does not Live Here Anymore, Searching For Jupiter, Weight Of Death, Through The Sun And The Happy Fall, At The End Of Eternity, Piano Break Song.
Musicians:
Magnus Öström: drums, percussions
Andreas Hourdakis: guitar
Daniel Karlsson: piano, organ and Fender Rhodes
Thobias Gabrielson: electric bass, synth bass, keyboards