COMPOSERS: Johannesson,Schultz & Berglund
LABELS: Prophone
ALBUM TITLE: Cause and Effect: Johannesson, Schultz & Berglund
WORKS: Cause and Effect
PERFORMER: Peter Johannesson (drums), Max Schultz (guitar), Dan Berglund (bass), Jacob Karlzon (piano)
CATALOGUE NO: PCD132
Swedish drummer Peter Johannesson and guitarist Max Schultz have collaborated many times since the 1970s, with projects like ‘Sixtus’ with Herbie Hancock, and have performed with top musicians on the European scene. Here, they’ve enlisted fellow Swedes, pianist Karlzon and former EST bassist Berglund, for a project that combines their own compositions with a wide sweep of influences – from John Coltrane to Stravinsky.
The result is excellent, as the band locks down in pulsing rhythms that drive the uplifting tension. ‘PJ’s Five’ is a case in point, with the addition of a searing trumpet line by Peter Asplund. And, in contrast, there’s a version of Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Third Stone from the Sun’ that refines the jazz elements of the original into a gently brooding interpretation. The disc plays out with ‘Baretta’, a fast-paced, at times haunting, band composition that, like this album, leaves a lasting impression.
Neil McKim