Bro, Jakob: Gefion

Jakob Bro is a Danish guitarist who will shortly release his ECM debut album titled Gefion. On the album he has enlisted Thomas Morgan (double bass) and drummer extraordinaire Jon Christensen.

Gefion is another one of those jazz albums that should be taken in as a whole. It is a typical ECM recording in that there is more here than what appears on the first or second listen. It is a slow moving and gently flowing album but underneath the mellow exterior is a complexity that subtly reveals itself over time.

Bro's guitar tone is very melodic and clean and the sustain he achieves is integral to his sound. Much of the disc is quite ambient in nature, letting the instruments build ever so slowly, sometimes culminating in impressive improvised segments, like the increasingly complex drumming in the album opening title track. In the understated "Copenhagen", gently cascading guitar notes entwine with Morgan's improvised bass lines while "And They All Came Marching Out Of The Woods" is a showpiece for Christensen's refined yet complex drum excursions. "White" finds the trio a little more brooding with its softly plucked bass and guitar chords. "Lyskaster" is another haunting piece with unhurried guitar lines creating beautiful harmonic textures. Its crawling pace gives the listener the time necessary to absorb every note.

Bro has made an intriguing ambient-like jazz album that requires your utmost concentration to reap its full rewards. A good set of headphones is mandatory.

Track Listing:
1. Gefion (10:33)
2. Copenhagen (4:24)
3. And They All Came Marching Out Of The Woods (4:30)
4. White (5:09)
5. Lyskaster (4:14)
6. Airport Poem (3:28)
7. Oktober (4:17)
8. Ending (2:46)

Added: March 10th 2015
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 1525
Language: english

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