Instrumental
International relevance: ***
International relevance: ***
Ranked #15 on the blog's Top 25
First of all, I'm not even going to
start mentioning names of those heard on this album because
everybody's on it. The album's a veritable who's who of the
top players of the Swedish jazz scene at the time; a true big band effort but of course
it's not classic big band jazz with a band leader constantly smiling
at the audience, tux dressed players and decorated music stands in
front of them. No.
This makes John Coltrane's ”Ascension”
sound like a hummable little ditty.
This is TNT.
”Orangutang!” is the most
powerful Swedish 70's free jazz album, great on an international
level, up there with Alan Silva, Globe Unity Orchestra, François
Tusques and the lot. Great jazz hurts, and no other Swedish album
hurts as good as this one does. But just like any good free jazz
album, it has a sense of elevated beauty, a serene lyricism, an
intense burning light with your mind being its focal point. And it's dynamic, effortlessly moving from full blast detonations to jittery reflection. Of course
it's not easy listening, it's not at all the perfect aural backdrop
to a nice barbecue in the garden but it's got the spark to set your
soul ablaze.
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