Viva Black (Found You Recordings)
Filip Augustson
Released April 1, 2015
DownBeat Four-and-a-Half-Star Review
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n3jFwavIxTjwsZEan51gR4IgsHUXgXLlo
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3SpYW58ePlSyhMij8Glvaf?si=V8M0Q5aLRt-cwf–hTcbbQ
About:
What do you get when you cross the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra with the Fredrik Norén Band, Anna Von Hauswolff, Drottningholms Barockensemble, Mats Öberg Trio and Rikard Wolff? – I sometimes get the feeling that when you work in projects combining Jazz and Classical music the real meeting “in-between” never comes to be; you either get the Jazz group’s rendition of a Classical Music, or vice versa, Classical musicians’ interpretation of Jazz. The actual meeting and a blending of these Genres somehow rarely comes to fruition. Something new. Under the leadership of the by now highly merited and highly routined bass player Filip Augustson, the group Viva Black has been called to life and a very poignant example of the aformentioned dilemma. Found You Recordings proudly presents this new ensemble and CD, which gives room to so much fantastic musicianship in such a small and intimate constellation with such depth and diversity. – Joakim Simonsson, Found You Recordings Filip on Filip, and the new recording Viva Black: -As I am a by now reasonably able bassist, happily married father of two, living in a nice middle-class neighbourhood, and possibly sqeeky-clean image to the world outside, I am as thus possibly also perceived as being a bit flat or uninteristing by the music industry. And as I was thinking about what to call this album I thought the word “Black” should be a part of it (as it sounds so cool, and possibly the industry would like that. But soon I awakened, since “Black” wasn’t exactly very much me, rather very much of what I like happens to be “Black.” That’s when I put the Viva in front, which to me sounded very positive and cool, partly due to the contrast, but also as one has to let in a little light to see the darkness.” Filip abaout the music and musicians: -With certain musicians you have this sense that everything just works directly, with others a feeling quite the contrary regardless how many rehearsals behind you, you never quite get there. The encounter with violinist Eva Lindal in 2012 on a stage in Stockholm certainly was of the first kind, it just clicked. We played some improvisations together during that night and it felt as though we had always played together. The following year I walked around with this idea in my head to do something together with Eva. I wrote some songs, amongst others “Desperadon,” a piece inspired by the Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko. The hymn-like composition with its two melody parts moving forward slowly, was written at the piano, but I soon understood that it would fit this setting perfectly. In the fall of 2013 there would be another chance to play together and Eva was as well excited for the opportunity. To get Christopher Cantillo with us on drums was the icing on the cake so to speak. I had played with him in various settings prior to this and understood that his creative and dynamic style would fit the setting perfectly. We also tried us at some older pieces I had written, amongst others “Ituri,” which builds on an ostinato in the bass part, and here Eva could so freely move in and away from the line, and improvise around it. It feels great that our making music together didn’t stop there, but has lead us to this album, and the projects very existence!”
Track Listing:
1. Desperadon! (Filip Augustsson) 7:23 2. Glissando para Juanes (Filip Augustsson / Eva Lindal / Christopher Cantillo) 2:44
3. Flying Flyers (Filip Augustsson) 5:58
4. Ituri (Filip Augustsson) 4:15
5. The Butterfly Left the Flower (Filip Augustsson / Eva Lindal / Christopher Cantillo) 6:31
6. Stuff by stuff (Filip Augustsson) 5:10
7. Repetitivo Acrimasa (Filip Augustsson) 4:35
8. Viva el Ritmo (Filip Augustsson / Eva Lindal / Christopher Cantillo) 3:53
9. Tensta Tango (Filip Augustsson) 6:14
10. Triss i Trä (Filip Augustsson / Eva Lindal / Christopher Cantillo) 4:51
Personnel:
Filip Augustson: double bass
Christopher Cantillo: drums
Eva Lindal: violin
Recorded and Mixed by Johan Berke at Glömsta Studio, Huddinge
Mastered by Thomas Eberger at Stockholm Mastering
Produced by Filip Augustson
Executive producer: Joakim Simonsson
Photos by Miki Anagrius and Viktor Wallström.
Art direction by Patric Thorman
Review:
Though this is double bassist Augustson’s recording, Viva Black is a trio date that features violinist Eva Lindal and drummer Christopher Cantillo. Active on the Swedish jazz scene, Augustson first played with Lindal on a Stockholm bandstand in 2012. They enjoyed improvising together, and Augustson was inspired to assemble a lean, chordless trio with Cantillo, with whom he had played before.
Augustson composed six of the pieces; the other four were group improvisations. In press materials, he says that Tomasz Stanko was his inspiration when writing the opening track, “Desperadon!” With Lindal’s yearning legato playing and Cantillo’s explorative drumming, it evokes the trumpeter’s mysterious tone.
“The Butterfly Left The Flower (For Kenny Wheeler)” finds Lindal exploiting her instrument’s lesser-explored hues with pizzicato fervor. The abstract composition contrasts directly to the more traditional “Stuff By Stuff” that immediately follows.
Closing out Viva Black, “Triss I Trä” spotlights each of the three instrumentalists individually before bringing the trio together in a collective sonic investigation that encapsulates the open-minded nature of the three musical comrades.
Yoshi Kato (DownBeat)
