Henrik Jensen and Peter Ehwald

“Jensen Ehwald”

(Music Chamber MC0011)

I first encountered the Danish born, London based bassist and composer Henrik Jensen when he performed at nearby Presteigne in April 2011 as part of pianist Will Butterworth’s trio. Since then we have kept in touch and Jensen has recently forwarded me a copy of this intimate duo album recorded with German saxophonist Peter Ehwald. I know of Ehwald through his work with the Anglo-German quartet Paragon also featuring bassist Matthias Nowak and the Brit contingent of pianist Arthur Lea and drummer Jon Scott. Their excellent album “Quarterlife Crisis” is reviewed elsewhere on this site. 

Jensen and Ehwald have worked together on and off for some ten years, releasing a very good album, “Songs of Trees” on the 33 Records label in 2008. This was recorded under the name of The North Trio with the pair collaborating with drummer Wolfgang Hohn. “Songs of Trees” is a highly accomplished album comprised entirely of original material with Ehwald contributing six pieces, Jensen four and Hohn the closing “Xilef”. Ehwald remains on tenor sax throughout and the record is a highly melodic and accessible exploration of the art of the saxophone trio with a good level of interaction between the players. Many of the melodies have a folk like feel and this is something that Jensen and Ehwald have carried forward to the more exposed setting of this eponymous duo album. 

“Jensen Ehwald” is a collection of German and Danish folk and traditional songs with the two protagonists each contributing one original in a similar vein. By contemporary standards it’s relatively brief album, clocking in at just over thirty eight minutes, but in this sparse and exposed setting the length is just about right. The music was recorded at London’s Union Chapel, an acclaimed concert venue, but this would appear to be an “on location” recording with Jensen and Ehwald taking advantage of the venue’s atmosphere and acoustics. If an audience was present all traces of their presence have been comprehensively edited out.

The mood of the album is largely contemplative and reflective with Jensen’s deeply resonant but flexible and agile bass underpinning Ehwald’s wispy melodicism. Nonetheless there’s plenty of room for Jensen to stretch out and it’s to his credit that the many passages for solo bass are consistently absorbing and inventive.

The duo begin with an appropriately light and airy and joyous of rendition Johann Friedrich Reichart’s “If I Would Be A Bird” before varying the mood with a more sombre reading of the traditional German tune “Farewell To Good Night”. The latter is played at an almost funereal pace but there is a real beauty behind the apparent sadness. The hymn tune “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” was written by no less a luminary than Martin Luther himself and the duo’s treatment of the piece again inspires with its austere beauty.

The Danish folk song that follows almost comes as something of a light relief. Ehwald’s dancing, squiggling soprano on the brief “It Was A Saturday Evening” is sometimes reminiscent of Jan Garbarek’s forays into Nordic folk music with Jensen’s bass providing the perfect counterpoint.

Jensen’s own “Butterfly” is appropriately led by the bass with Ehwald adding tender snatches of tenor melody. Ehwald’s lovely “Highlands” includes moments of richly bowed bass in conjunction with the composer’s gently ruminative tenor sax.

Oluf Ring’s “The Time Is Near” features a gorgeous folk melody which is tenderly and tastefully embellished by the duo. There’s an excellent youtube clip of Jensen and Ehwald performing this tune live at St. Peter’s Church in London on the duo’s website http://www.jensenehwald.com

A lengthier reprise of “It Was A Saturday Evening” offers a more reflective look at the melody with Ehwald again on soprano.

The album concludes with Paul Gerhardt’s “Now All The Woods Are Sleeping” with breathy tenor and deeply woody bass creating an appropriately nocturnal atmosphere. Like the rest of the album the music is unhurried and deeply contemplative. The duo focus on mood building and although the standard of musicianship is astonishingly high throughout there is no grandstanding. Control and discipline are the duo’s watchwords and the music positively benefits from the virtues of their cool, calm restraint. 

Immaculately recorded by Les Mommsen “Jensen Ehwald” is an excellent mood piece and a total success on its own terms. The way in which the duo sustain an atmosphere of calm and contemplation throughout the recording is exemplary but the pared down setting may be a little too sparse for some listeners. 

For this reason, if pushed, I’d be more eager to press into your hands the North Trio’s album “Songs Of Trees” where the duo’s innate melodicism is augmented by the additional textures, rhythm and punctuation of Hohn’s colourful and inventive drumming. At times the trio’s music with it’s strong melodies and polyrhythmic drumming reminds me of the young British saxophone trio Partikel (saxophonist Duncan Eagles, bassist Max Luthert and drummer Eric Ford), a recommendation in itself but given the 2008 release date of the North Trio album they may have been an influence on Partikel rather than the other way round.

Ian’s star ratings;

Jensen Ehwald 3.5 Stars

The North Trio “Songs Of Trees” 4 Stars

The Jensen Ehwald Duo will be playing at St. Ethelburga’s Church, Bishopsgate, London on Friday February 17th 2012. Details as follows;

JENSEN/EHWALD DUO
Henrik Jensen-double bass
Peter Ehwald-reeds
Friday 17 February 2012 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Location
Music at St Ethelburga’s
78 Bishopsgate
London, EC2N 4AG
United Kingdom
Contact
Phone: 07776136609
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Entry £12, £10 adv.

http://www.jensenehwald.com
http://www.music-chamber.com

 

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