Jon Eberson Group Feat. Beate, DJ Strangefruit

Jon Eberson Group Feat. Beate, DJ Strangefruit - Dreams That Went Astray - 2001 - Jazzland Records

Guitarist and composer Jon Eberson (born January 6, 1953 in Oslo), is a true legend within the Norwegian jazz scene. Ever since he began his career with the band Moose Loose (1974), and on through his collaborations with vocalists Radka Toneff and Sidsel Endresen, he has always gone his own way. He has sold around 150,000 albums in the course of his career, has been awarded two Spellemannpriser (Norwegian Grammies), and is both a pop hero (album “Jive Talking”) and a very highly regarded jazz musician and composer. He teaches as Assistant Professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music among other places.

Another one of those ultra-hip groups on Norway's Jazzland label – led by guitarist Jon Eberson, and featuring Bugge Wesseltoft on keyboards and bass, Pal Thowsen on drums, Tom Erik Antonsen on bass, and Strangefruit on vinyl! A few tracks also feature vocals by Beate – and the overall style of the set is somewhere between funky ECM and early 80s New York bass-driven avant jazz funk, such as the work of Melvin Gibbs. The more modern touches of the Jazzland style make the record sound fresher than that description might imply – and titles include "Pushing The Beat", "Victim Of Own Desires", "Everlasting Star", "Dreams That Went Astray", "Clandestined Band", and "You Passed Me Like A Wind". (Out of print UK pressing.) © 1996-2011, Dusty Groove America, Inc.

It's surprising how little Jon Eberson is known outside of his native Norway. He has a very attractive guitar sound, something close to Pat Metheny, and an often astonishing technique. Both aspects of his playing are shown to great effect on Dreams that Went Astray. Eberson's group is perfect for the situation. The partnership of drummer Pål Thowsen, who first came to prominence in the mid-'70s on Arild Andersen's ECM debut, and electric bassist Tom Erik Antonsen, who shows clear Paul Jackson and Marcus Miller influences, provides a firm and funky rhythmic base over which Eberson weaves his complex lines with subtle yet harmonically rich keyboard backdrops provided by Bugge Wesseltoft. The two guest artists are also perfect for the session. DJ Strangefruit, known for his key role with Nils Petter Molvær, substantially enriches the texture on a number of tracks, most notably "Pushing the Beat" and the title track. Singer Beate Lech, leader of nu jazz group Beady Belle, guests on three tracks. Her role on "Clandestined Band" is possibly the high point of the album and one of her finest moments on record. The track also has Thowsen's best playing on the album, switching from the backbeat-driven funk of other tracks to a more swinging style owing something to Tony Williams but unique in its own way. Another remarkable factor of the success of the piece is the build up of harmonic expectancy over long passages on a single harmonic area that is then released on a killer chord sequence. Bugge Wesseltoft's role should not be underestimated. Though he spends the majority of the album out of the limelight, with only the title track giving him any real solo space, his role throughout the album in setting the mellow backdrop in which Eberson thrives is crucial. One album that Dreams that Went Astray bears resemblance to in a textural sense is John Scofield's Still Warm , and Wesseltoft's role can be compared with Don Grolnick's on that record. The comparison is clearest on the tracks "Clandestined Band" and "Victim of Own Desires." Elsewhere, some surprising textural references are made to '70s Miles Davis. Davis's influence is strong on the Norwegian nu jazz scene but given how different Eberson's music is to the more drum-n-bass driven sounds of many of his younger countrymates, the Miles references are a little more surprising but extremely effective. Wesseltoft puts in some Agharta -era organ touches at several points on the album, and Eberson himself adds some McLaughlin touches to the title track. Dreams That Went Astray is certainly the hidden gem of the Jazzland catalogue and is well worth searching out for anyone into the current Norwegian nu jazz scene or just fine modern guitar playing. By & © JON OPSTAD, Published: September 25, 2004 All material copyright © 2011 All About Jazz and/or contributing writer/visual artist. All rights reserved http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=14880

"A select outing of post-millennium urban sounds, song and jazz excursions with a solid foundation provided by of one of jazz-guitar's eminent figures" A bit of retro-funk blended with modern beats and soundscapes. Eberson is great, bringing back a lot of memories with his special guitar sound. © Jazzland Recordings. All rights reserved The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Try and listen to Jon Eberson's "Stash" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 125 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Pushing The Beat 6:00
2 Wish 5:00
3 You Passed Me Like A Wind 9:43
4 Clandestined Band 7:49
5 Prisoners Of Ego's Device 8:50
6 Victim Of Own Desires 8:30
7 Everlasting Star 8:58
8 Dreams That Went Away 8:50

Tracks 1,3,5,6,7,8 composed by Jon Eberson: Track 2 composed by Beate, Bugge, Jon Eberson: Track 4 composed by Beate, Jon Eberson

MUSICIANS

Guitar - Jon Eberson
Bass - Tom Erik Antonsen
Keyboards, Synthesizer [Synth. Bass] - Bugge Wesseltoft
Drums - Pål Thowsen
Scratches [Vinyl] - Pål Strangefruit
Vocals - Beate ака Beady Belle

BIO

Jon Arild Eberson, born 6. January 1953, grew up with jazz around him since he was a young boy. His father, Leif Eberson, was among the most influential jazz guitarists in the 1950s. Jon started playing guitar at the age of 12, and has presented himself as a musician since he was 18 years old. He belonged to a creative musical environment, youth and played with other artists like Vidar Johansen and brothers John and Erik Balke. In the early 1970s, he was with the band brothers Balke, Unis and singer Radka Toneff. He was a central person in the Radkas band in the period 1975-80, and was featured on the albums "Winter Poem" (77) and "It don't come easy" (79). Jon was also included in the concert of the Opera in 2009, which was a tribute to Radka. In 1972, he played with the free jazz-legendene Svein Finnerud (piano) and Bjørnar Andresen (bass). The same year, he was a member of Ketil Bjørn's debut album, "Opening". The big gjennomslaget with own band came the following year, during the jazz festival in Kongsberg, 1973, with Moose Loose; a band he formed with Brynjulf Blix. In the period 1973-77 Rupe albums Moose Loose (74) and Transition (76) and toured around the country. At the end of the 70s, he had also the band Blow Out with Håkon Graf, and a Quartet with pianist Jon Balke. During this period he worked with selected people like Arild Andersen, Magni Wentzel, Sveinung Hovensjø, Jon Christensen, Sven Christiansen and his good friend and colleague Pål Thowsen. In the early 80s started the very successful collaboration between Jon and singer and songwriter Sidsel Endresen in the Jon Eberson Group. It resulted in four albums, which together have sold well over 100,000 copies. The first, "Jive Talking" (81) was 25 weeks on VG-lista, and received Spellemannprisen in the category of jazzrock. Later came the album "Polarities" (83) "City Visions" (84), "Stories" (85), and "Pigs & Poetry" (87) and ordering the work "To all the birds that cannot fly" for Club 7. Jon and Sidsel had recorded their best originator of "City Visions" in 1985. Jon worked with another large project, Jazzpunkensemblet, a mini-big band with several of the nation's leading jazz musicians in the amazing interaction. After his work with Sidsel Endresen finished, Jon put together a trio format called Stash with Bjørn Kjellemyr (bass) and Audun Kleive (percussion) (later took over Paolo Vinacchia). They recorded two albums, one of them was Bakchand Smash, which refers to Jim's other passion in life, tennis. It is worth noting that the guitarist is twice Oslomester in tennis which he also shares with saxophonist Morten Halle, who he played with in the 90 's in a Quartet. The duo is also behind the project, the Metropolitan, where jazz standards are supported by stryker instruments. The Metropolitan has resulted in two albums and concerts at the jazz festivals in Molde and Oslo. In 92, the duo Eberson/Audun Kleive released "Music for the Men and Machines". Jon has been with the band Chipahua and Oslo Rythm & Blues band. He has also worked a lot with trombonist Torbjørn Sunde in a band with a Chet Baker feel. In recent years he has recorded several albums in the duo format with Carl Morten Iversen, releasing critically acclaimed CDs like "Jazz for Men" and "Jazz at the Lighthouse". In 2009 the experienced duo of Rob Waring in the beautiful "Born to be slow." In 2001, Bjørnar Andresen, Paal Nilssen-Love "Mind the Gap", and in 2006 was "Bring it on" in which John plays with Per Zanussi and Torstein Lofhus. From the mid 90s Jon has been a teacher, later an associate professor at the Norwegian Academy of music. He has been a teacher for several of the leading young musicians, Morten Qvenild, Jarle Bernhoft, Aslak Hartberg, Beate Lech and Delete Foundation, Hilde Marie Kjersem, to name a few. Jon and Kjersem, album Twelve o'clock Tales in 2004, and Beate is included in the Metropolitan concept. Over the years, Jon has been involved in a number of albums. His scope runs from free jazz, via Find Kalvik and Christoher Schaus "Cumbshots" to ballads. Since 1973 Jon has been playing on all the major jazz festivals (also small) in Norway, and has a loyal audience of listeners and critics. In 2001 Jon received the Buddy statuette, the highest distinction in Norwegian jazz. Jon is influenced by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Jim Hall, Tal Farlow – to name a few. Jon's of music, but has never been keen to seek careers outside of Norway. But he always looks forward, and is always searching for new tones. Although he is a zealous opponent of modern technology, he appreciated the "For those of us who love Jon Eberson with whole heart" on Facebook. © http://www.jonebersongroup.no/ [Translated from Norwegian using Microsoft Translator]