And yet, the origin of each piece comes from Madsen's impressions of New York. Yes, of course, there is considerable tension both in New York City and in Madsen's music. Bird and Diz relied on the city's tension. Madsen's quartet forges ahead, with urban anxiety serving merely as its starting point. Mallets and drones provide a backdrop, as the quartet provides a release.
Most tracks move up-tempo and follow traditional jazz form.
Straddling the fence between creative improvised music and modern mainstream jazz, Thor Madsen's highly recommended quartet session combines a deep respect for the history of jazz with explorations into new acoustic territory. All About Jazz and contributing writers. All rights reserved.