| art.description.project | Project
Anders Jormin’s third leader date for ECM (following 1999’s “Xieyi” and 2003’s “In Winds, In Light), is a song cycle with texts mostly in Latin (an exception is “Vox Animae”, with English words) and, on “Inter Semper et Nunquam”, poetry of Denmark’s Pia Tafdrup. Originally commissioned for the Swedish Jazz Celebration 2010, the success of the first live presentations encouraged Anders to develop “Ad Lucem” further, and to retain the members of the featured ensemble as his new band.
Latin, Anders feels, “carries an almost magic ability to embrace and express whatever humanity has needed to communicate. The sense of eternity and mystery of this ancient language joined with the instantaneous presence and creativity of true improvisers became the inspiring framework in which the distinctive compositions came alive.”
The improvisers on hand include free sax and clarinet player Fredrik Ljungkvist – last heard on ECM in 2008 with the band Parish - and Jormin’s highly expressive colleague from the Bobo Stenson Trio, drummer Jon Fält. The three of them – Jormin, Ljungkvist and Fält – have an obvious rapport, moving easily inside the structures of Anders’ compositions and making some very spirited music together (listen to the exultant “Caeruleus”). Singers Mariam Wallentin and Erika Angell, on hand to delineate Jormin’s melodies, also contribute to the improvisational flow, adding wordless vocals to “Clamor” and “Vigor”, for instance. | sv |
