Danish saxophonist and composer Maria Dybbroe has fast established herself as a unique voice in contemporary European music. With her collaborative quintet Caktus, she fuses influences from various genres into captivating, improvisation-heavy works. On her third release with Caktus, the cinematic Øyeblikk, she blends her group with the Norwegian Jazz Composers' Orchestra, OJKOS, for six interlinked pieces of sublime beauty and depth.
The album title means “moment”, and each tune has an ephemeral immediacy at its core. For instance, “Kalvøya”, inspired by an island near Oslo, opens with a pastoral segment of bowed strings and flittering of the woodwinds. After setting a meditative mood, the dual drums of Knut Kvifte Nesheim and Tobias Andreassen add urgency with their sparse beats. The interaction between the booming brass and the twittering reeds builds delightful tension that leads to a warm, poetic trumpet solo. The 15-member band weaves a dynamic tapestry of sound from which emerges Dybbroe’s yearning, incandescent phrases. Nocturnesque, shimmering refrains usher in the conclusion.
Another track that bears the name of a location is “Fornebu”, a peninsula in Bærum, Norway. The clattering of percussion and the fluid clarinet notes are like a bird calling in the early morning hours among stems blowing in the wind. When the rest of the ensemble enters, they build a quasi-symphonic performance. This is best heard when the muscular trombones blow in unison against the clarinet’s tender melody. As various sections trade lines over percussive rhythms, a peaceful harmony ensues. Hence, it reflects the town’s perfect balance of architectural beauty and natural preserves.
The melancholic “Det nye år” (The New Year) consists of long, languid passages from the horns with sparse accents from the drums. Hints of mysticism infuse the serene atmosphere as lone musicians play nostalgic and celebratory melodies. Guitarist Arne Martin Nybo weaves a haunting, incandescent ballad, followed by cellist Thorbjørn Kaas’ lyrical soliloquy. The rustle of brushes and cymbals, together with deep, resonant basslines, color the backdrop with muted hues. The music perfectly reflects the joy, the regrets, and the anticipation of another turn around the sun.
Øyeblikk is a captivating recording with stimulating multilayered motifs. It is both thought-provoking and emotionally moving. It is a perfect example of what collective improvisational music should be: creative without pretensions and enjoyable without being pedestrian.
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