Zanussi 5 - Live In Coimbra (2014)

ecorded live in Coimbra, Portugal, during the 2013 edition of the Jazz ao Centro festival, this is how the quintet led by Per Zanussi sound on stage. Energetic and lyrical, combining free improvisation and melodic structures, “Live in Coimbra” offers a unique surrealistic perspective of the jazz idiom. The saxophone (doubled with clarinets) front is half of the secret: Kjetil Moster, Eirik Hegdal and Jorgen Mathisen seem either the entire blowing section of a jazz big band and a woodwind chamber ensemble. Behind them are the always assertive bass played by Zanussi and the motoric drums of Gard Nilssen. The music is jumpy and full of funk influences, locking in rhythmic situations. In other occasions, Zanussi 5 delves into strange soundscapes, not far from the Fifties exotica and the best compositions for cinema. It’s like a kaleidoscope, always changing colors and shapes. Just listen.