Murasaki

It’s wonderful to see that Jakob Bro no longer ties his creativity solely to ECM, but is instead now releasing more and more albums through his own Loveland Music label. Life is short, creativity must flow, and long-delayed releases are a real shame. And how wonderful is it that we can share in this! His collaboration with trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and drummer Marcus Gilmore is a completely different musical venture compared to his brilliant collaboration with Midori Takada.

The musicians did already know each other for a long time yet so far they never recorded together. At the beginning of this year, the New York Power Station was booked for them to make music together spontaneously and then record it without re-takes or discussions. Improvised music based on intuition and trust. In every way, Murasaki, their joint album, is just that.

It is a pleasantly challenging listening experience because the musicians really leave everything completely free. Bro and Gilmore in particular challenge us with different kinds of sounds. Smith does that too, but his playing remains melodic and is sometimes beautifully balanced with adventurous percussion and effects-driven guitar, sometimes stimulating and challenging.

Murasaki is above all a sonic adventure. Creating new sounds in challenging musical landscapes. It is only in Heart Language, the fifth track on the album, that we hear Bro as we know him, as a guitarist, as well as in the contrary version of himself. With Smith beautifully contrasting with him. The piece stimulates and grates. And is extremely captivating.

From the opening track Winnowing One to the closing piece Winnowing Two, an intriguing story unfolds, one of the deepest Bro has recorded to date. Making music without any limitations and purely on feeling, with great musicians like Bro, Gilmore and Smith in the studio, results in very special and very lively music.

This album is certainly not for everyone. And for Bro enthusiasts, it will be quite a challenge. But if you listen carefully, by the time you reach Yoyogi Park Dream, the third track on the album, you will already be completely won over. As ingenious as it is experimental, this is an improvisation built up in layers. As challenging as it is intriguing.

Murasaki is an album full of challenges. An album that is full of Bro and Gilmore Smith’s unruly character and unlikely sounds, over which they once again demonstrate their great magical class. An album like a voyage of discovery through an alien landscape that knows no musical boundaries.

NB. It is striking, incidentally, that Bro decided to release this collaboration on his own label, Loveland Music, rather than waiting for a major label. The album can therefore only be ordered through Loveland Music or at the concerts he plays worldwide.