ECM 2016
Mats Eilertsen Bass, Compositions
Trygve Seim Tenor- and Soprano Saxophones
Eirik Hegdal Soprano- and Baritone Saxophones, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet
Rob Waring Marimba, Vibraphone
Thomas T Dahl Guitar
Harmen Fraanje Piano
Olavi Louhivuori Drums
track list
01. Canto Mats Eilertsen
02. Cross The Creek Harmen Fraanje
03. March Mats Eilertsen
04. Balky Mats Eilertsen
05. Lago Mats Eilertsen
06. BluBlue Mats Eilertsen
07. Wood and Water Mats Eilertsen, Eirik Hegdal, Rob Waring
08. September Mats Eilertsen
09. Reminiscent Mats Eilertsen
10. Introitus Mats Eilertsen
press
“with Rubicon, Eilertsen steps confidently up to the spotlight as leader, delivering an album that, with lessons learned from his existing body of work, opens his music up to even greater interpretive possibilities than ever before”
AllAboutJazz
“The band swings with a seductive lightness, and the quality of the tunes and the ever-changing tonal interest keep lifting the predominantly low-lit mood”
The Guardian
“Having listened to these ten pieces several times the album reveals itself as a masterpiece.”
LondonJazzNews / Henning Bolte
Subtle sophistication at work. It all amounts to a slithering snake of an album, soft, discreet, mysterious and, in spots, absolutely gorgeous. Eilertsen may not be a jaw-dropping funky plucker like Stanley Clarke but his twin talents of composition and being a team player is tantamount to being a leader by example.”
Classicalite | Mike Greenblatt
“It is much to Eilertsen’s credit that throughout he is presence is keenly felt, and more importantly his big toned bass lines lay down an important foundation for the music. It is remarkable how the bassist has been able to retain his own strong personality in a manner that indicates that the music heard is his musical vision, but also allows such freedom for his fellow band mates to contribute so freely without disturbing the equilibrium of his concept.”
JazzViews | Nick Lea
“Featuring an international septet, it follows the familiar ECM label aesthetic while throwing a few curveballs along the way. The idiosyncratic inclusion of a vibraphone and guitar in the line-up for a start lends it a little of the grit of a Sixties Blue Note session.”
The Times
“For meg er dette mitt første møte med “Rubicon” og jeg bryter gjerne sammen og tilstår at dette er noe av det vakreste av musikk som har kommet i nærhetene av mitt sanseapparat på svært lenge. Fra første til siste takt så er “Rubicon” på god vei til å få evig liv og forhåpentligvis klassiker-status.”
Tor Hammerø
“Og det er som om musikken smyg seg inn på deg, vedunderleg og vakker.”
Dagsavisen | Roald Helgheim
“The pieces on Rubicon travel in a number of directions, subtly melding improvisation and composition, but all retain an overall atmosphere of calm composure and elegant grace.”
Dusted Mag | Joseph Burnett
“a loose- limbed, folk-inflected ensemble sound”
Irish Times | Cormac Larkin
“Rubicon is full of moody, dynamic music played by a large ensemble whose members listen to each other as skillfully as they play their own instruments. That kind of generosity, coupled with Eilertsen’s intriguing compositions, makes for an unusual listening experience. The tune “March” on Mats Eilertsen’s Rubicon is one of the most delicious bits of atmospheric noir jazz I’ve heard in some time.”
Gary Whitehouse | The Greenman Review
“Plata er full av solistiske gullkorn frå alle i ensemblet, men dei er fint integrert i det heilskaplege musikalske forløpet. Eilertsen kasta terningen, og det blei ein seksar”
Dag og Tid | Lars Mossafin
“Han har sørget for å la en omhyggelig utpønsket klangpalett gi stemning, dybde og spenning til melodiene, så vel de enkle, korte temaene som de lengre «fortellingene», og dette klanglig komplekse ensembleuttrykket er sammen med en lavmælt kompositorisk grunnstemning særpreget nok til at «Rubicon» får et helhetlig verk-preg. Alle, ham selv inkludert, leverer kor med fynd og klem og stor troverdighet, og bidrar også på den måten til at «Rubicon» er blitt et album som forener vakker, melodibasert stillferdighet og improvisatorisk temperament på begeistrende vis.”
Jazz i Norge | Terje Mosnes
“Indeed, the way piano, mallet instruments and guitar inhabit the same sonic space without getting in each other’s way and still ending up with the overall sound as spacious as this is a real feat. A gorgeous album that is growing in importance for me with each listen.”
JazzBreakfast | Peter Bacon
“Das Spiel der Musiker ist sehr luftig, geradezu schwebend, wie ein atmender Organismus. Zwar fasziniert, mit welchem Abwechslungsreichtum und welch ungewöhnlichen Einfällen die farbenreichen Arrangements ausgestaltet wurden, doch bleibt ein durchweg klarer Fokus präsent – der auch das warme Klangbild betrifft”
Nordischemusic.de | Ingo F. Biermann
“In his debut as a leader on ECM, Rubicon, bassist Mats Eilertsen fronts a formidable septet of musicians with whom he has collaborated on many previous sessions. To be fair, many of the tracks on Rubicon feature subsets of the larger group, but the overall musical effect is filled with fascinating textures regardless.”
Sequenza 21 | Christian Carey