Maternity Beat (Rune Grammofon)
Hedvig Mollestad & Trondheim Jazz Orchestra
Released November 18, 2022
New York City Record Best Large Ensemble Releases of 2022
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nURIh6aBvdStaRaqIAw98Yn_Rt1UCnszA
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About:
With Maternity Beat, Hedvig Mollestad has surpassed herself, most significantly as a composer and arranger, and delivered her most ambitious work to date. And that´s not a proclamation to be taken lightly. Mollestad, after all, has been one of Norway’s most adventurous and hardest-working musicians since the Molde International Jazz Festival named her the Young Jazz Talent of the Year in 2009. Recorded with the 12-piece Trondheim Jazz Orchestra (who have previously worked with legends like Chick Corea and Joshua Redman), Maternity Beat is a sprawling double album and true career milestone. The sheer sonic and emotional scope of this album required Mollestad wear multiple hats: guitar explorer, composer, arranger, improviser, collaborator, and, as the striking title implies, mother. In addition to encompassing the full evolution of her sound to date, it offers deeply personal meditations on the nature of family and pressing social justice issues.
While listeners will no doubt encounter the Mahavishnu Orchestra-inspired fire music that has made the Hedvig Mollestad Trio heavyweights in 21st-century fusion and jazz-metal, Maternity Beat also expands on the contemplative experimentation showcased on two of Mollestad’s recent solo works: 2020’s Ekhidna, and Tempest Revisited, released in 2021, both of which netted her a Spellemannpris (the Norwegian equivalent of a Grammy).
Track Listing:
1. On The Horizon Part 1 2:49
2. On The Horizon Part 2 3:56
3. Do Re Mi Ma Ma 9:59
4. Donna Ovis Peppa 7:43
5. Little Lucid Demons / Alfons 7:33
6. All Flights Cancelled 6:49
7. Her Own Shape 5:24
8. Maternity Beat 9:24
9. Maternity Suite 9:44
Music by Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen
Commissioned by Molde International Jazz Festival and Midtnorsk Jazzsenter in 2019 and premiered in July 2020
Personnel:
Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen: guitar, vocals (9)
Ingebjørg Loe Bjørnstad: vocals
Mai Elise Solberg: vocals
Adrian Løseth Waade: violin
Trine Knutsen: flutes
Martin Myhre Olsen: soprano, alto and baritone saxophones
Petter Kraft: tenor saxophone
Thomas Johansson: trumpet
Ståle Storløkken: Hammond organ, Rhodes and synthesizers
Ellen Brekken: double bass
Ingvald Andre Vassbø: percussion
Torstein Lofthus: drums
Erlend Skomsvoll: conductor
Recorded October 2021, at Athletic Sound, Halden, by Dag Erik Johansen
Mixed by Bård Ingebrigtsen
Mastered by Helge Sten
Sleeve Design by Kim Hiorthøy
Produced by Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen
Review:
In 2011 Norwegian guitarist Hedvig Mollestad released her first record as a leader. Earlier in her career, Mollestad led what could loosely be described as a fusion-influenced progressive power trio whose music never lacked for energy—or, for that matter, depth and complexity. On 2020’s Ekhidna, Mollestad worked with an expanded lineup that included two keyboardists who helped usher in a more layered sound with antecedents in 70s Miles or Lotus-era Santana. For her next release, Tempest Revisited (2021), Mollestad added more instruments while putting her own spin on compositions by the Norwegian classical composer Arne Nordheim. On her latest record, Maternity Beat, Mollestad joins forces with the 12-piece Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, whose instrumentation includes saxophones, violin, flute, trumpet, keyboards, double bass, percussion, and drums. Again the expanded lineup seems to fire Mollestad’s imagination, and the result is an album that demands a close listen.
Some cuts on Maternity Beat take time to unfold, opening with slow, simmering passages that gradually give way to passionate improvisation—or else there’s a suite-like element connecting two songs. The brooding, introspective opener, “On the Horizon Part 1” helps set the stage for the fiery “On the Horizon Part 2,” and the closing tracks, “Maternity Beat” and “Maternity Suite,” develop along similar lines. During the quiet passages, a dark lyricism emerges that embraces nuance and color and makes full use of the varied instrumentation of the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra. When the tempo picks up and the band catches fire, the energy we associate with Mollestad’s trio is still there, but the sound is much more panoramic.
Part of what elevates these performances beyond metronomic jazz-rock or cerebral math rock is the strong sense of interplay between the musicians. When Martin Myhre Olsen solos on soprano saxophone during “On the Horizon Part 2” and drummer Torstein Lofthus drives hard underneath, that sparks spontaneous interaction in the other players, and parts of Maternity Beat have a compelling live-in-the-studio feel. The distinct style of each soloist also helps steer the music away from cliches. Even in the most Mahavishnu Orchestra-like moments, violinist Adrian Løseth Waade never registers as a Jerry Goodman clone. In fact, at times you’ll hear some fairly straightforward jazz violin during his solos while saxophonists Martin Myhre Olsen and Petter Kraft seem to have some free jazz in their DNA. Used sparingly, the ethereal and sometimes wordless vocals of Ingebjørg Loe Bjørnstad and Mai Elise Soldberg add an ethereal layer to what is already a rich tapestry of sound.
Mollestad has been compared to Mahavishnu-era John McLaughlin. Few guitar players can match McLaughlin’s intensity from that period, but Mollestad is up to the task, and she has a big, beefy tone to go with it. Here I’m particularly reminded of the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s Visions of the Emerald Beyond, where McLaughlin added strings and horns to the mix. Maternity Beat also calls to mind Miles Davis’ Aura, which featured arrangements by Danish trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg (and also happened to include McLaughlin as a guest artist). I hear the late Jeff Beck in Mollestad’s playing as well, and especially on the leadoff single from the album, “All Flights Cancelled.” The title suggests passengers stuck in an airport, but this song achieves liftoff in the first few bars and keeps ascending. Guitarists with technique to burn sometimes struggle to find a context that brings out the best in their playing, but Mollestad’s talents as a composer are on par with her prowess as a guitarist. If you haven’t heard Hedvig Mollestad, “All Flights Cancelled” would make a good taste test—and if that song resonates with you, Maternity Beat is available as a single CD or a 2-LP set on Rune Grammofon, a Norwegian label that’s supported forward-thinking music for 25 years.
Jeff Wilson (The Absolute Sound)
