Wako: Ut av det nye
Øra Fonogram
Having issued six recordings during the past decade, Wako offers a fascinating object of study, especially when the individuals who founded the Norwegian jazz quartet ten years ago are the same four members today. We see, on the hand, a Wako identity persisting from one release to the next; at the same time, we witness transformation facilitated by a change in approach from one album to the next. If one release involves the four musicians only, another expands the unit into a Wako-and-strings ensemble; further to that, the band's discography includes both studio releases featuring concise statements and a live set featuring longer explorations. Every one of the quartet's releases comes as a surprise, even though it's always unmistakably Wako.
The acoustic quartet's latest, Ut av det nye, might be its purest, most direct, and most defining statement to date. Nine pieces are delivered with dispatch (all but one are five minutes or less), the playing to-the-point and the writing inspired. As per usual, composer credits are split between saxophonist Martin Myhre Olsen and pianist Kjetil Mulelid, with double bassist Bárður Reinert Poulse getting in on the act and contributing a beautiful ballad, “Løgmannabreyt.” They and drummer Simon Olderskog Albertsen recorded the album at Store Studio in Bodø over three days in January 2022.
Olsen's “Isabella” starts the album in sultry ballad mode, his sax wafting across a lulling base and the writing recalling some fabulous Mingus classic from decades ago. Here we're presented with the first arresting example of a band that's identified the perfect mid-point between tight and loose playing. Mulelid's “Pleb Yalu” exudes joy when a loquacious Olsen voices its theme via soprano sax and Albertsen powers the performance with a Latin-tinged beat. The pianist follows that effervescent number with “Alice,” a ballad as pretty as it is plaintive. The first three songs confirm something supported by those that follow: Olsen and Mulelid write great tunes.
Olsen's “Alt det vi tapte” could pass for a Coltrane homage, so much does the playing evoke the legend's famous quartet. With Mulelid and Albertsen incarnating McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones, it's left to Poulse and Olsen to channel Jimmy Garrison and the master. Also memorable are Mulelid's “F & F,” a chamber-styled setting that blossoms into a swinging 3/4 romp, and “Et siste farvel,” a bluesy and prototypically lovely Wako ballad.
The performances give the impression of group partners excitedly reuniting after tackling solo projects and immediately rewarded with that special connection between musicians who've played together for years. Joy radiates from their statements, regardless of whether the material's ponderous or playful, and musicianship is at a consistently high level. Ut av det nye is a summative statement, yes, but hopefully also something like a mid-term report. With so much collective energy and imagination to draw upon (and with all just in their early 30s), Wako's creative fire should continue to burn for many a year still.November 2022