Over Sundet - Masquerade
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Over Sundet - Masquerade
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Over Sundet The young quartet known as Over Sundet (Danish for “across the sound”) takes its name from the waters separating Denmark from Sweden. Bringing together a mixture of backgrounds in folk, jazz, and pop traditions, Cecilie Strange (sax), Lea Rasmussen (cello), Siri Iversen (clarinet), and Simon Busk (percussion) combine forces in Masquerade, an all-original program of self-styled “Nordic roots.” From the cover and title alone of the band's sophomore effort, one can already sense the wistful nature of what lies within. This is a group at ease and at play, at once uplifting and contemplative. What sets Over Sundet apart from other Danish folk projects is the forward thinking of its compositions. There's a storybook quality to the music. Like a children's book illustration come to life, the band animates boldly drawn figures with clarity of vision. The diptych of “Morgenvals” (Morning waltz) and “Hastværk” (Haste) best amplifies the band's lyric integrity. The rhythmic precision, modal scales, and virtuosic interactions between clarinet and cello make it a standout.
Cellist Rasmussen is indeed a melodic force to be reckoned with, adding eastward-looking touches to “Vægelsind” (Capriciousness) and “Hammam,” neither of which betray the Scandinavian heritage of its performers. So, too, the klezmer-like “Sultanens dans” (Sultan dance) and “Vind i piben/Vand i sigte,” both freely realized. For the most part, however, it's all about the dance. The spiraling harmonies of “En anden dag” (Another day) combine folk and jazz elements in a rhythmic blender and puree until smoothly poured into the snaking mold of “Vår i høst.”
"En anden dag"
Such is the album's pattern: mountains and caves of dynamic contrast. Like the stirrings of “Flowing with Yangtze” that close the album, undercurrents move to the rhythm of something earthly and mineral-rich. - Tyran Grillo CD available from cdRoots
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