Daniel Herskedal

“Slow Eastbound Train”

(Edition Records EDN1057)

Released in March 2015 “Slow Eastbound Train” is tuba player and composer Daniel Herskedal’s second album for Edition Records. The first, “Neck Of The Woods” (2012), an intimate duo set recorded with his fellow Norwegian Marius Neset (saxophones) made a big impression on UK audiences and established Herskedal as a musician and composer of some stature.

Herskedal studied with Django Bates at the Rhythmic Conservatoire in Copenhagen and together with Neset was a member of Bates’ StoRMChaser big band. He brings a unique sensibility to the tuba and is a musician who combines an astonishing technical facility with a highly developed aesthetic sense. Herskedal was the dominant writing presence on “Neck Of The Woods” and the music on that album was often surprisingly haunting, tender and beautiful, words not always associated with the sometimes lugubrious tuba. Herskedal has developed a unique approach to the instrument, less demonstrative but arguably even more distinctive than that of the UK’s own tuba hero, the great Oren Marshall. I was lucky enough to witness Herskedal and Neset playing music from “Neck Of The Woods” at a remarkable gig at Dempsey’s in Cardiff in September 2012, a spellbinding performance of the utmost intimacy and beauty and very different from the explosive nature of Neset’s shows leading his own groups.

“Slow Eastbound Train” is very different to its predecessor but it is equally astonishing and no less beautiful. It places an even greater emphasis on Herskedal the composer and for all his technical prowess on both the tuba and the less familiar bass trumpet it’s his writing and arranging that impresses most on this record. Joining Herskedal are the pianist Eyolf Dale, the percussionist Helge Andreas Norbakken and members of The Trondheim Soloists, Norway’s leading string chamber orchestra. The expanded instrumentation is imaginatively and colourfully deployed by the composer and the rich textures of the music have been immaculately recorded by a Scandinavian engineering team of August Wanngren (surely on his way to becoming one of the most renowned recording engineers in Europe), Rune Nordal and Thomas Eberger to produce a mix of pinpoint clarity.

Whereas “Neck Of The Woods” embraced Norwegian folk forms the new album sees Herskedal reaching further east and south to China, India and even Africa. The original pieces on “Slow Eastbound Train” have literal, pictorial titles and the impression given by the album is of a vivid and evocative series of cinematic “shorts”. Many of these pieces sound like film music and they are frequently very beautiful. There’s a finished, almost conceptual feel to the album as a whole with the eleven relatively short individual tracks being linked by the overall themes of pilgrimage and a love of the natural world. 

The delightful opener “The Mistral Noir” features a multi-tracked Herskedal, a looped and layered tuba vamp underpinning thoughtful, unhurried and always melodic soloing on both tuba and bass trumpet. The use of the latter hints at the influence of his compatriot and fellow trumpeter Arve Henriksen, a musician who also pushes the boundaries of his instrument and whose recordings exude a similar sense of space and beauty.

Pizzicato strings emulate the sound of raindrops on the introduction to “Rainfall”. It’s an effect that has been used many times before but rarely as delightfully as here. Norbakken’s percussion and Herskedal’s tuba bass lines ensure that this is a highly rhythmic piece on which the excellent Dale is given plenty of room to stretch out and to bring a real jazz sensibility to the proceedings with an expansive solo. It’s a celebratory piece that signals the arrival of rain as a cause for rejoicing.

The pizzicato string sound is also deployed on the darker toned “Monsoon Coming” but the soloists also pick up their bows to create an exotic, Oriental atmosphere. Dale’s low register piano rumblings and ramblings are underscored by the patter of Norbakken’s hand played percussion. Herskedal initially takes a step back before delivering a gently brooding tuba solo that gradually increases in intensity until the monsoon passes over and fades away.

“The Solar Winds Effects on Earth” is suitably mysterious, ethereal and space like with Herskedal’s long, possibly electronically enhanced, trumpet and tuba lines accompanied by alternately glacial/lyrical sounding piano and the rustle of percussion. It segues into “Daniel’s Dust Devil”, a brief but frequently stunning display of solo tuba gymnastics .
This in turn ushers in “Slow Eastbound Boat”, another wonderfully descriptive and evocative piece of writing that features Herskedal’s characteristically melodic tuba lines above Norbakken’s underlying percussive patterns. Added depth comes with the introduction of strings and piano as Herskedal’s vessel sails resolutely on.

The thematically linked “Slow Eastbound Train” begins with Dale’s gentle piano lyricism before opening out to embrace the rich sonorities of Herskedal’s tuba and the cellos of the Trondheim Soloists. Norbakken’s percussion approximates the rhythms of the “slow train” of the title and overall this richly atmospheric piece of music is a worthy choice as the title track of a very fine album.

“Snowfall” is unexpectedly lively with exuberant sounding strings mimicking the dance of snowflakes in the breeze. The vigorously bowed string patterns are punctuated by the vivacious piano runs of Dale while Norbakken’s percussion is a steady, driving presence throughout.
“Crosswind Landing maintains the energy levels and serves as something of a companion piece to its immediate predecessor. Galloping tuba gives way to something of a percussion showcase which features some of Norbakken’s most energetic playing against a backdrop of rapidly bowed strings and darting piano.

An arrangement of Mussorgsky’s “Bydlo” (from “Pictures At An Exhibition”) is the only outside item on the record. It’s a relatively sombre affair featuring rounded tuba, carefully paced piano, richly textured strings and a smattering of percussion. Towards the end Herskedal explores the upper reaches of his instrument’s range in the form of a plaintive high register whine that is extremely effective.

The album closes with “Sea Breeze Front”, the title seemingly a reference to the sea frets characteristic of Scandinavia. Like the opening piece it features a multi tracked Herskedal who loops and layers his sound to create a billowing, diaphanous backdrop reminiscent of the slow moving mist implied by the title. He also delivers more of that plaintive, highly vocalised upper register sound. It’s another stunning solo performance, richly atmospheric and eerily beautiful.

“Slow Eastbound Train” represents a major artistic statement from Daniel Herskedal and establishes him firmly as a first rate composer as well as an outstanding instrumentalist. Herskedal’s technical prowess is outstanding in itself but he always deploys his virtuosity in the service of the music,  one never gets the sense that he is “showing off” or merely demonstrating his chops.

“Slow Eastbound Train” sees Herskedal skilfully merging jazz with elements of contemporary classical music to create a richly pictorial sound-world that is very much his own. Unfortunately economics are likely to prevent extensive touring with the full album cast but a series of gigs by the core trio of Herskedal, Dale and Norbakken would be well worth seeing.     

 

 
 

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