Cloudland

Öström, Magnus; Privat, Gregory; Azmeh, Kinan; Henriksen, Arve; Danielsson, Lars; Parricelli, John

Good things are worth waiting for. Lars Danielsson had recorded just a few tracks for a new Liberetto album in late 2019. So, when a window appeared in September 2020 between the lockdowns across Europe, he seized the opportunity to bring his fellow band-members back to his studio near Gothenburg to finish what they had started. Those who know how attractive and approachable Liberetto’s music is will find all their expectations fulfilled on “Cloudland”. The 'elegant lyricism' and 'unerring groove' which Canadian writer John Kelman (All About Jazz) spotted in 2011 in the band’s first album are to be found in abundance on this, their fourth. "I think of my compositions as songs,” says Danielsson, who never forgets the importance of melody. After all, as he still vividly remembers, his very first music teacher was an organist responsible for steering the congregation through the hymns in a church. “Cloudland” also shows the variety of Danielsson’s range of timbres and expressive possibilities. We find them in both foreseeable and new ways. Right from the start of “Imagine Joao'', a duet with John Parricelli, he states the melody with the elegance and eloquence of the consummately lyrical bassist we have come to expect. Whereas, for the last sixty seconds of Villstad, most listeners will probably jump to the obvious but wrong conclusion that the heroic, Hendrix-like sound they are hearing is an electric guitar. There is definitely alchemy, sorcery going on here and appearances can be deceptive: this is Danielsson playing cello and using a distorted amp.

Price: $27.98