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Phronesis: Alive
ByEdition has acquired a reputation for high production values, and here it has done Phronesis proud. In performance, the group can make even the late e.s.t. in all its rock-out pomp sound a little lightweight, driven hard as it is by Høiby's big, fat sound and deep grooves, and the vigorous drumming of Anton Egerhere replaced, due to his unavoidable absence from the Forge Arts gigs, by the equally highly-charged Mark Guiliana, an alumni of bassist Avishai Cohen's group. Edition engineer Matt Robertson has captured the passion of Phronesis live to create real edge-of-your-seat excitement.
Phronesis, however, is not your typical, common or garden groove machine. For a start, Høiby's writingall the eight tunes here are originals, seven of them from the earlier albumsis complex, and for all their muscular intensity, his grooves and ostinatos are complex and shape-shifting. On top of that, pianist Ivo Neamewho joined the lineup with Green Delaylikes to work across rather than on the grooves, his expansive lyricism bringing a tension, and a degree of interest, to the music which simple groove-adherence would not deliver.
The relative weakness in Phronesis is in the compositions, which don't in themselves stick in the mind for long. But this is almost an irrelevance, because what ultimately makes the band so engaging is the interaction between the three players. And here, Høiby's choice of drummer dep was a good one, because Guilianawho must, surely, have had some rehearsals beforehandfits right in from the get go, bouncing off Høiby's lines with casual panache.
Too many albums, in the noughties, have outstayed their welcome with playing times far in excess of an hour. Less, often, is more. But Alive, which clocks in at over 73 minutes, is compelling without pause. It may "only" be a live recording, but the disc is certain to remain a landmark in Phronesis' catalogue for years to come.
Track Listing
Blue Inspiration; French; Eight Hours; Abraham's New Gift; Rue Cing Diamants; Happy Notes; Love Song; Untitled #2.
Personnel
Phronesis
band / ensemble / orchestraJasper Høiby: double-bass; Ivo Neame: piano; Mark Guiliana: drums.
Album information
Title: Alive | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Edition Records
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About Phronesis
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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