Lilting reveries from Ellen Andrea Wang
You will hear without being too preposterous an armchair theorist or Ron Manager-like a different more Dominic Miller side to Rob Luft here in places early on across this latest from Norwegian bassist and singer Ellen Andrea Wang. Why so, Gary? I think the link even bearing in mind that this was recorded in Norway at a far higher latitude in chillier climes that it’s the Mediterranean flavour Miller is so adept at conjuring you glean from a track like ‘August.’ Oh, and fear not – lack of the heat of the sun – Sting sceptic, this opening track is a summer vibe the title tips its hat to. Not a Sumner one.
That’s a surprise but it’s fleeting.
Wang was in Pixel – they did a great stand outdoors at a festival in Gillett Square, Dalston organised by Match and Fuse face Dave Morecroft back in 2012. The boisterous ‘Call Me’ (nothing to do with a Blondie song of the same name) is the track from her Pixel discography to go to.
Wang is like Esperanza Spalding a bit in approach at a stretch but make the leap and note this is nothing like what Spalding does with Fred Hersch for instance. This isn’t as edgy as Pixel. Score that out. Pixel were never edgy. But they were certainly adventurous.
Pared back reveries
Here it’s a pared back trio album completed by Norwegian drummer Jon Fält (whose style we think is a little like Thomas Strønen to a certain extent) very loose and warm and there’s loads of excellent noodly guitar from Luft who is one of the biggest stars on the UK to have emerged in the last decade – we liked him a whole load with Byron Wallen and Dave O’Higgins. He Lufted off admirably on John Surman’s superb album Words Unspoken toggling neatly by sliding along in the ensemble sound in tow to the west country sax master and vivid vibes colour mélange painted by Rob Waring.
Wang is a natural
Wang is a natural as a jazz attuned double bassist.
If you’re a UK jazz fan and like the approach of relative newcomer Charlie Pyne you will also be at home with the Norwegian in all likelihood. And the tunes here the now 38-year-old Norwegian develops are bluesy and make sense. This all picks up from the first instalment of Closeness which had the epic misfortune of coming out in 2020 and which was even more accessible. Go back to it and absorb the likeable reggae-fied version of David Bowie, Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays’ mid-1980s classic ‘This Is Not America’. On it Luft gamely resists the temptation to cleave too closely to Methenyian habits. He must have been itching to throw in a few obvious Metheny type licks.
On this latest there’s almost a rockabilly feel to the traditional Norwegian folk inspired Du Høie Fryd – full disclosure: no idea what the title means or how to pronounce it either. Sigh.
‘You’ is like a pop song – Wang’s voice has a definite lilt to it. The backing harmonies from Luft and Fält add a lot. Luft’s exuberant solo is very satisfying.
Tunes are Wang’s and they really work. Plus there is a cover, more a novelty bolt-on than anything else, of Blossom Dearie and Jim Council’s ‘I Like London In The Rain.’ It is a number that was on the Pete King produced That’s Just the Way I Want To Be issued by Fontana in 1970.
Ellen Andrea Wang, photo: via Ropeadope on Bandcamp
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