Is as Is (Fresh Sound New Talent)
Mathias Højgaard Jensen
Released May 31, 2024
AllMusic Favorite Jazz Albums 2024
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About:
Music for me, like for other musicians, is (among other things) amediumfor processing experience and emotion in a way that can be both cathartic and therapeutic. Sometimes it is opaque to us what we’re going through or what we’re feeling, andmusic can help us navigate and understand. In the moment, and at a distance—when we listen backwe realize, in away that is deeper than words, what a certain time or period was about.
Sometimes it is very clear and transparent to us, and we just need a medium that is more forceful and direct than language. The compositions on this album reflect a transitional period of my life, but also a period of finding myself musically. They express my emotions going through a challenging period ofmy life, and as such forma cohesive story of dealing with and moving through anxiety, chaos and frustration, but also beauty, hope and humor. I am very grateful to have had the wonderful musicianship of Steven, Jacob and David helping mebring my ideas and visions into being, in such a personal and honest way.
I also want to express my deep gratitude to my family and friends for supporting me. Without these very important people this album would not have been a reality.
Mathias Højgaard Jensen
Track Listing:
1. Off-Set (Mathias Højgaard Jensen) 6:13
2. Sleeping Silver (Mathias Højgaard Jensen) 5:00
3. Hjemstavn: Hometown (Mathias Højgaard Jensen) 4:28
4. Afklaret (Mathias Højgaard Jensen) 2:58
5. Forbigået (Mathias Højgaard Jensen) 6:59
6. Kastle (Mathias Højgaard Jensen) 6:41
7. Is As Is (Mathias Højgaard Jensen) 7:48
8. Hill (Mathias Højgaard Jensen) 7:13
9. Post August Blues (Mathias Højgaard Jensen) 4:26
Personnel:
Mathias Højgaard Jensen: bass
David Mirarchi: alto sax
Jacob Sacks: piano
Steven Crammer: drums
Recorded September 29, 2022, at Big Orange Sheep, Brooklyn, New York
Sound engineer: Chris Benham
Mixed and Mastered by Eivind Opsvik
Artwork by David Mirarchi
Produced by Mathias Højgaard Jensen
Executive Producer: Jordi Pujol
Review:
The artwork of Mathias Højgaard Jensen’s Is As Is consists of various blurry photos of the bassist’s face, blending together as one image — as if he’s looking at himself from different perspectives, trying to get a clearer sense of himself as a whole person in the process. It is exactly this kind of introspective searching and re-evaluation that informs the record, which Jensen describes as “cathartic and therapeutic” in the liner notes, using artistic expression to examine a transitional period in his life. Recorded in September 2022 and released in March 2024, Is As Is is Jensen’s first album as a leader — the Copenhagen-born musician studied under Greg Cohen and Buster Williams and recorded several albums with his group Holon Trio. On this quartet date, his group is comprised of pianist Jacob Sacks, drummer Steven Crammer, and saxophonist David Mirarchi — the latter being one of his regular collaborators, having also worked with Jensen in the Quiet People quartet and on two albums of remote duo improvisations.
The record’s theme of switching perspectives is introduced right at the beginning, as “Off-Set” unfolds with an ever-changing structure and pace, looking at its melodious elements from all sides but never settling down for one approach. Similarly, “Sleeping Silver,” while anchored by an almost stoic bass motif, keeps trying out new elements and melodies, and there’s an interesting tension between different moods and modes on other tracks as well — for example the equally restless and soothing “Kastle,” named after an artist’s collective in Copenhagen where Jensen lived at the tail end of the pandemic before returning to New York, or the title track, a ballad that still allows a great deal of uncertainty underneath its tender surface. Jensen’s European roots are more thoroughly explored on a trio of tracks with Danish titles, from the nostalgic “Hjemstavn” (“Hometown”) and the sentimental “Afklaret” (“Clarified”) to the initially pensive, then more playful “Forbigaet” (“Passed By”) — while they have a few turbulent segments as well, they offer a more contemplative foundation. And despite the searching quality of the compositions, Jensen ultimately seems to approach the contrastive elements with calm acceptance — so the record’s title suggests the philosophical result of his meditation: it is as it is.
Christian Genzel (AllMusic)
