a r t i s t : Arne ForsΘn
t i t l e : Where Is The Moon?
d a t e : 2001
l a b e l : Dragon
g e n r e : Jazz (Piano)
r l s. d a t e : Aug/2006
t r a c k s : 12
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 66,1 MB
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There is some music (a lot of it, actually) about which I'm
hardly qualified to advance an opinion. Usually, but not
always, the music consists of melodies I've not heard before
played by a single instrumentalist, as is the case with Where
Is the Moon? by Swedish pianist Arne ForsΘn. Most of what
ForsΘn plays is melodic (also quite percussive), and much of
it (I assume) is improvised, even though it's no easy matter
to recognize when composition gives way to improvisation.
ForsΘn says he wrote only one of the dozen tunes but his name
is on five (including the three-part "Where Is the Moon?") so
one must conclude that the others were "written" (that is,
improvised) on the spot as the tape was running (ForsΘn says
as much in the liner notes). Certainly, "Where Is the Moon?"
sounds wholly unpremeditated. Whether that's a good thing is
up to the listener to decide. "Moon Mask" has a more
well-defined structure but that doesn't necessarily mean it
was written in advance. To be honest, everything on the album
sounds like it could have been created on the spur of the
moment except perhaps a trio of compositions by one of
ForsΘn's "first sources of inspiration", Thelonious Monk, and
of course Johnny Green's enduring standard, "Body and Soul".
Monk's tunes include "Jackie-ing", "Monk's Mood" and
"Misterioso". ForsΘn moves from there to themes by two of his
other role models (both deceased), pianist Lasse Werner
("Drottningholm Ballad", "Carina") and bassist Kurt Lindgren
("Wild-Walk"), closing with "Body and Soul". He plays that one
on a "tack-piano" (as he does "Drottningholm Ballad"), and I
was eager to read the notes to find out exactly what that is.
No luck. All I can say is that it sounds much different from
ForsΘn's regular piano, with a more harpsichord-like
character, but not quite. At least on "Body and Soul" one can
ascertain clearly when the formal arrangement ends and
improvisation begins. We've mentioned some of ForsΘn's
influences, which should give one an idea of where he's coming
from; as for his purpose, he explains it this way: "You
organize sounds that, in interchange with silence, become
rhythms. The silence gives space for echoes of what has just
been, and expectations [of] what is to come. The sounds create
vibrations that are disturbed by other sounds, giving birth to
new rhythms that are disturbed by that unpredictable silence
from which you never really can escape". And, as Bing Crosby
pointed out in the film High Society, "Now you has Jazz". But
that covers a lot of territory, and one man's Jazz may be
another man's enigma. While there's not much that is enigmatic
about Where Is the Moon?, it does command one's undivided
attention. And other than to point out that ForsΘn is beyond
any doubt an accomplished musician with a plan, there's not
much else we can reasonably say about it.
--Jack Bowers, allaboutjazz.com
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01-Jackie-ing (Thelonious Monk) [04:06]
02-Lilla Mσnen (Little Moon) (Arne ForsΘn) [04:23]
03-Moon Mask (Arne ForsΘn) [03:56]
04-Drottningholm Ballad (Lasse Werner) [06:52]
05-Wild-Walk (Kurt Lindgren) [06:18]
06-Carina (Lasse Werner) [02:10]
07-Monk's Mood (Thelonious Monk) [03:59]
08-Misterioso (Thelonious Monk) [04:28]
09-Where is the Moon? part 1 (Arne ForsΘn) [03:27]
10-Where is the Moon? part 2 (Arne ForsΘn) [04:05]
11-Where is the Moon? part 3 (Arne ForsΘn) [04:35]
12-Body and Soul (John W Green) [07:38]
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55:57 min