SØREN MØLLER — Christioan X Variations (review)

SØREN MØLLER — Christioan X Variations album cover Album · 2011 · Post-Fusion Contemporary Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
The Block
Soren Moller has been around for quite some time now, doing everything a jazz musician can do, in a sense. He’s a pianist and a composer, and does interpretation work of Miles Davis songs, and works in everything from a duet, trio, and even quartet. On this album, Moller shows his diversity, not only in his music, but also with the people he works with. With people from all over the world, including the Kirin Winds, Moller shows how he can work with most people, and do it well. As with most of his other releases, Dick Oatts accompanies Soren Moller on this album.

Since Soren Moller likes to incorporate both classical and jazz elements into his music it is fitting that he has both jazz and classical instruments on this album. The bass, piano, and drums highlight the jazz parts while the classical parts are often highlighted by the Kirin Winds who are Jorunn Solloes on flute, Sai Kai on oboe, Nicolai Eghosrt on clarinet, Jeppe Rasmussen on horn, and Catarina Zeh on bassoon. The tone quality of the winds is very good, especially on “Nonet II”. Since the saxophone can be classified as a classical instrument as well as a jazz instrument, and so could the piano, Dick Oatts does get a lot of playing time, so to say, on this album. He is a very good sax player, and if you enjoy saxophone a lot, such as I do, this CD is well worth picking up.

One thing I do have to say, though, is besides from the occasional solo, this album can get bland at time. Though only five songs long, this almost 43 minute album doesn’t have much originality to it. Granted, Moller has a very musical brain, but some of the compositions within the pieces tend to drag on a bit. One thing that seems to lack a bit is the drum parts. Henry Cole is definitely a capable drummer, but his parts lack intensity, for lack of a better word, and seem a little too laid back.

The production of this album is very crisp and clean, and I have no issues with it at all.

To be honest, I’m not the biggest jazz/classical music fan in the world, but this album is very good. Soren Moller has put out another good album here, and I enjoyed this one for most f the time I was listening to it. For a good release, Sore Moller gets 3.5 stars.
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