Search - Jacob Young :: Evening Falls

An ECM essential

J. Almquist | Seattle, WA | 01/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jacob Young is a great "young" jazz guitarist out of Norway who ranks with Kurt Rosenwinkel as one of my favorite newcomers to the scene. Young, who (as I recently read) was a student of jazz legends Jim Hall and John Abercrombie, is a mature player with solid technique. He has great tone both on acoustic (which at times reminds me of Ralph Towner's "Anthem") and electric (which is warm and round). His solos are well constructed, featuring strong melodic content, fluid scalar runs, and great thematic development.



Featured alongside Young are Mathias Eick (trumpet), Vidar Johansen (bass clarinet), Mats Eilertsen (double bass) and Jon Christensen (drums); all solid players. Young's compositions are well crafted, with strong melodies that weave in and out of solos and open improv. The horn arrangements provide texture to the pieces and often serve as a pad over which the soloist plays (check out Young's solo on "Evening Air" or bassist Eilertsen's great solo on "Falling"). Johansen's strong bass clarinet provides an excellent counterpoint to the soloist or to the melodies played by the trumpet/guitar. I love the way the bass clarinet is used here; in my mind it draws comparison's to Tomasz Stanko's arrangements on "From the Green Hill" or a few tracks from Dave Douglas' "The Infinite". Nicely done!



For those familiar with the ECM discography, it's well known that Manfred Eicher has been producing wonderful albums for years now. That "ECM sound" as I've often discussed with friends is present here: one that is personal, introspective, and pensive. One person's "too slow" is another's "fantastic use of space and dynamics". I highly recommend this album!

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FRESH. VERY FRESH

W. Noshie | Beirut, Lebanon | 10/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am new to Jacob Young and to all the musicians playing on this album, however his album grabbed me from the beginning till to end; Great melodies, guitar playing as well as trumpet, bass and drums in every single Track.

If you are into Pat Metheny, Michael Hedges or similar music and melodies, this album will be a real surprising beautiful treat. Guaranteed.



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