“Is this another Coleman/Taylor/Dolphy homage?”
Yes; yes; maybe—who cares? Free Jazz is (in my definite opinion) the last bastion of music (and maybe even art as a whole) where true innovation is not only still possible but also extremely well-executed—if done right.
Enter “Second Sight” by Oslo’s Ville Lähteenmäki Trio. The lineup is the same as it was on their blistering debut album, aptly named “Introducing” (though “Fire” would have been just as fitting). Whereas some ensembles attempt to stick to a script, for whatever reasons they might have, Ville Lähteenmäki Trio builds on their innovative debut—dialling both creativity and musicianship to 11. The bass clarinet still is the prominent voice here, as is evident on the opener, “Commencement,” unleashing Lähteenmäki’s signature rapid-fire approach that highlights both the energy of the instrument as well as the deep connection it shares with Ville.
This is not to say that either Leirtrø’s contrabass nor Karlsen’s drums are mere background music: the latter’s drumming is non-rigid and fluid, whilst setting the foundational structure. Leirtrø’s bass is a refractory combination of masterful spontaneity and incisiveness. Emphasis on all three.
The rollercoaster ride of modern avant-garde Jazz continues throughout the next three tracks—each brimming with emotion and nods to the masters (“Shadow People” has Mingus, La Faro, and Hayden frantically taking notes from above); meditative exercises in ingenuity and creativity (highlighted in an almost modern blueprint fashion throughout “In The Void”); to pleasing folks who are chasing that next polyrhythm and spiritual high (“Queen of Hearts”).
