Bergen Big Band featuring The Core

Meditations On Coltrane

Label: Norway Music Country: Norway

"Reed player Vidar Johansen's arrangements for John Coltrane's iconic Meditations (Impulse!, 1966) were recorded live at the Nattjazz festival in Bergen in May 2007. Johansen's arrangements stress Coltrane's melodic themes over the intense and sometimes violent sonic explorations of the Coltrane quartet that was augmented with Pharaoh Sanders on second tenor saxophone and Rashied Ali on drums. His arrangements, appropriately reverential, still call for spirited and passionate conviction from all the musicians, as befits such a monumental work.

Johansen's arrangement for "The Father And The Son And The Holy Ghost" uses the Bergen Big Band mainly for the fanfare passages, while all four members of The Core share the lead with the addition of Olav Dale on the alto saxophone. Wisely, Dale does not try to mimic angry Sanders' shrieks, so prominent on the original recording, but instead features a reasoned solo that comments on the powerful one previously played by Møster.

Johnsen arranges "Compassion" as a longer work than the original performance, but still makes the pianist, Slettovell, the main soloist. Slettovell plays in a fluent and burning style reminiscent of McCoy Tyner. The Bergen Big Band, used as a brass choir, opens and concludes the piece and punctuates it between solos. Later, Møster and Dale, in tight interplay, expand melodically on Slettovell's lines.

Raknes follows Jimmy Garrisson's role as he introduces "Love And Consequences," united here into one piece, before Dale joins him for a short, beautiful duet on his flute; Johansen's arrangement colors it with the myriad voices of the Bergen Big Band, adding a swinging touch to the original pieces. Johansen conducts the band as it keeps gaining volume and volition, and when Møster and Dale take the lead with well-articulated and fierce solos in the "Consequences" segment, the bigger line-up echoes them. Later, Johansen introduces electric pianist Dag Arensen, who references other important and influential ensembles of that era such as those led by trumpeter Miles Davis and saxophonist Charles Lloyd. Aalberg ends the piece with a short but intense drum solo.

"Serenity" begins with a series of solos by Møster, Dale, Ole Jakob Hystad on tenor saxophone, and a remarkable one by Sindre Dalhaug on trombone. Guitarist Ole Thomsen takes the lead with a breezy solo and then the big band concludes with the peaceful theme.

Impressive, and further evidence of the Coltrane's enduring heritage."-Eyal Hareuveni, All About Jazz