The Moon Doesn't Drink - Lyder Øvreås Røed
Having recently appeared on Mosambique's "Big City Moves", Lyder Øvreås Røed returns to Jazzland with his own project, a melodic foray into a different species of jazz. Filled with late night, dark side of the mood compositions, alongside hot urban swing and summer day brightness, performed with hair's-breadth-perfect interplay. Textures, vibes, atmospheres, drive and tempo shift throughout, but the album retains a perfect unity from one piece to the next. Røed gives plenty of space for his assembled musicians to shine, with some superb soloing from Hanna Paulsberg (Sax), Eyolf Dale (Piano), and Steinar Raknes (Bass), while Tore Ljøkelsøy's rhythm work carries everything along, weaving fills and splashes into the musical fabric. Røed's own solo voice on trumpet and flugelhorn is a smooth, mellifluous thing of beauty, emotive, powerful, gentle, never challenging the listener to a fight as much as taking them by the hand on an adventure. "The Moon Doesn't Drink" is yet another clear indicator that the newest generation of Norwegian jazz has already found its own voice and is using it to make its statements with great articulation, clarity and vigour.