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Title: Hilmar Jensson – Ditty Blei (2004)
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

On Ditty Blei, Icelandic guitarist Hilmar Jensson and an acoustic quintet perform his challenging compositions, imbuing them with a rhythmic flair and melodic and harmonic interest that balances offbeat grooves and improvisational freedom, rock extraversion and jazz discipline. Intricate counterpoint from the horns, abrasive guitar solos, constantly shifting metres and time-bending percussive commentary complete the picture. Stark yet tender emotional underpinning engages the listener as Jensson lays out his vision of jazz present and jazz future. The second recording for Songlines by the guitarist of Jim Black’s Alasnoaxis is very different from the improv/ambient/collage approach of Tyft – even though its trio of Jensson, Black and Andrew D’Angelo is back. Here an acoustic quintet runs with Jensson’s challenging compositions, giving them a rhythmic flair and melodic/harmonic interest that might recall Chris Speed’s Yeah No in its balance between offbeat grooves and improvisational freedom, rock extraversion and jazz discipline. Intricate counterpoint from the horns, abrasive guitar solos, constantly shifting metres, and Black’s time-bending percussive commentary complete the picture. With a stark but tender emotional underpinning that engages the listener, Jensson lays out his vision of jazz present and jazz future, even if he questions whether jazz is a useful descriptor for his music: “Ever since the early ’90s I’ve had a close relationship with the music and musicians of the “downtown” scene. There are many exciting things happening in Iceland but this is the core of my musical self. New York is where this style was born and where the strongest players are so it’s natural for me to turn there when I need to realize my ideas. The fact that many of these musicians are my close friends makes the choice even more natural. The term “jazz” though doesn’t mean anything to me anymore. It’s way too broad to define and that’s good. I think that many different genres of music are melting into one indefinable style with plenty of room for variation and no need to be anything except good and interesting.

Hilmar Jensson might be a jazz guitarist, but he’s not necessarily one of jazz’s nice guys. His textures, harmonic choices, and rhythms often steer closer to experimental rock and even post-grunge than mainstream post-bop, and you can forget about gauzy chord washes or flirtations with widescreen Americana (isn’t it about time to make Icelandia a musical style?). So for those seeking unpredictability in their jazz (and who also prefer music that keeps them awake), here’s your man. Ditty Blei is Jensson’s second Songlines release, following 2003’s crazily diverse Tyft. This new recording sounds “jazzier” than Tyft, due in large degree to the expanded lineup that adds trumpeter Herb Robertson and bassist Trevor Dunn to the core trio of Jensson on guitar, Jim Black on drums, and Andrew D’Angelo on alto sax and bass clarinet. But the lineup is only one element that tilts Ditty Blei further toward jazz. A greater sense of flow also permeates the recording; Jensson has penned music with a seamless feel regardless of its startling contrasts. And there is a bright melodicism present in memorable themes the band almost seems to stumble upon by accident (the opening “Letta”), although even then little dissonances from a broken guitar phrase or ragged horn blurt can often be heard flitting around the edges. If there’s an element to be singled out as one of the least jazzy aspects of Ditty Blei, it might be Jensson’s skewed sense of rhythm, brought to life by Dunn and the incomparable Black. At least on the evidence so far, Jensson would appear to have a severe allergy to swinging tempos; while forward momentum is important, keeping the listener off-center is a guiding principle. Start tapping your foot and you never lose the sense of pulse, but given all the odd meters you’re also in and out of sync with the band from measure to measure. Few groups could navigate this knotty stuff so gracefully. Jensson has also penned material that takes full advantage of this quintet configuration and the highly idiosyncratic styles of the individual musicians – which means there are plenty of opportunities for Robertson and D’Angelo to cut loose with their deliriously over-the-top approaches to vocalizing through their horns (“Grinning,” “Gobbles”). Unlike some of the more relentless free jazz exercises, however, Jensson knows these top-shelf improvisers have a deep capacity for lyricism, so he provides them with opportunities to display that talent as well, as on the folkish “Correct Me if I’m Right” and the understated conclusion of “Grinning.” These tracks feature some of the leader’s finest work on acoustic guitar, proving that he can be a nice guy if he puts his mind to it.

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