Bassist Mats Eilertsen is a sideman for pianist Tord Gustavsen on the acclaimed Restored Returned, as is Tore Brunborg, the saxist in Eilertsen's fine quartet here. These seductive, low-key themes, with their subtle buildups to restrained anthemic tumults, at first seem to mirror the Gustavsen effect. But Eilertsen's band has its own character, not least because of the inventive, group-aware guitarist Thomas Dahl. Fans of Carla Bley's The Lost Chords, Andy Sheppard's duos with John Parricelli, or Iain Ballamy's quirky lyricism may hear some engaging echoes here. Brunborg is at his early-Garbarek best in the misty ballad Night Song, and the Sheppard feel is hypnotic on the prodding one-note sax repeats in Wall View, before Brunborg inflames it over a swelling groove. Dahl distantly suggests Pat Metheny's lilt and melodic sense on Stork, but with his own grainier sound and propulsive movement. He sounds as if he were on a brooding Morricone session on Hunting High and Low, and the softly wispy Aceh takes the session out. All these comparisons to other jazz figures are just to place it, because Radio Yonder is Eilertsen's compellingly independent show. - John Fordham (The Guardian)
This is an exciting new album from Norwegian bass player Mats Eilertsen's new quartet featuring a superb cast of musicians. Radio Yonder is his best and maybe most accessible album to-date. The title takes as its subject the dichotomy of "here" and "there," and the space in between, or "yonder." Yonder is between "here" and "there." Yonder is a state of mind of a place neither here nor there or in-between, and is as hard to grasp as the location of the rainbow. Radio Yonder is the muse the creative artist searches to find and tune into, never truly knowing if his artistic antennas will be able pick up the tender signals flowing around out in the ether. The new quartet Mats has put together for this album comprises some of the greatest voices on the Scandinavian and international jazz scene today, with the wonderful, mesmerizing sound of sax maestro Tore Brunborg stirred into guitarist Thomas Dahl's electric brew, combusted by the dazzling and inspiring supportive rhythm-works and percussive sounds from young Finnish drum wizard Olavi Louhivuori, all firmly rooted and wheeled by composer and bandleader bassist Mats Eilertsen. The quartet is both dynamic and playful. All members are equal and shine through the whole album. The music is melodic, energetic and has a strong lyrical vein. Radio Yonder also showcases Mats Eilertsen as a solid and inventive songwriter. All the material on the disc is written by Eilertsen except "Hunting High And Low" by Norwegian pop group A-ha.
Tracks
1. Radio
2. Bora
3. Night Song
4. Yonder
5. Further Float
6. Wall View
7. Stork
8. Hunting High And Low
9. Aceh
MATS EILERTSEN double bass
OLAVI LOUHIVUORI drums
THOMAS T. DAHL guitar
TORE BRUNBORG saxophone
Music composed by Mats Eilertsen, except (8) by Pal Waaktaar
Recorded in Rainbow Studios, Oslo, September 2008
Hubro Records - HUBRO CD2501 Norway